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Sci-Fi / Fantasy

Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season One (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 26th, 2012

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“Space… The final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission, to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no one has gone before.”

Nearly 20 years after the original Star Trek left the network airwaves, Gene Roddenberry set out to discover if he could catch lightening in a bottle once again. Some say he did an even better job with Star Trek: The Next Generation. There are times I tend to agree. The Star Trek sequel series had a lot more advantages from the moment it was conceived
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Barbarella (Blu-Ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by William O'Donnell on July 13th, 2012

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Taking place in the 41^st century, an astronaut named Barbarella (played by Jane Fonda) has been ordered to search out a missing Earth scientist named Durand Durand. On this mission, she is forced to land on a Planet called Lythion where she must overcome various erotic obstacles in this psychedelic camp classic.
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Wrath of the Titans (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 26th, 2012

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“In ancient times the world was ruled by gods and monsters…And now the time of the gods is ending.”

It appears that Greek mythology has become the fodder for a ton of movies of late. From young adult films to the hardcore action movies, audiences are getting their fill of the familiar gods and beasts from mythology lore. Some are calling it a trend or hot phase, like vampires and robots. Whatever it is, it isn’t a phase, and it isn’t merely passing through.
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Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 13th, 2012

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“In the 19th century Jules Verne wrote some of the greatest adventure stories ever told. Novels such as 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, Journey To The Center Of The Earth and The Mysterious Island. Most consider these works of science fiction. Vernians know otherwise.”

In 2008 Brendan Frasier had himself a rather unexpected hit with Journey To The Center Of The Earth. That film posed the fantastic question: What if the works of Jules Verne were not based on fantasy at all, but rather actual events, people and places
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John Carter (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by M. W. Phillips on June 6th, 2012

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“When I saw you, I believed it was a sign… that something new can come into this world.”

John Carter first appeared in Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom magazine serial nearly a century ago in 1912. The science fiction pioneering Carter stories captured the imagination of masses and inspired countless authors and directors. For example, George Lucas himself has stated there would be no Star Wars without John Carter of Mars. It took nearly a century to get it to screen and in time countless others have mined the series for inspiration.
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Mystery Science Theater 3000: XXIII

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 9th, 2012

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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.
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Witches of Oz (Blu-Ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on April 24th, 2012

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I am not sure about others, but I often I think I daydream more than most. Perhaps it is about being a published author, perhaps it is about being an adventurer in mythic times. When I watch movies, I want to travel to a New World, whether scary or magical where I can let my fantasies wander in any direction I wish. Today, I review Witches of Oz which sounds like it might involve the magical land of Oz. In reality, it only involves the world of New York City. Wicked witches indeed.
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The Darkest Hour (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 19th, 2012

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“This is how it starts…”

You know, it’s getting awfully hard to make an original alien invasion film. Most filmmakers have accepted the obvious and go for mind-blowing f/x and never mind the story. Still others go the trendy found-footage route. I was pleasantly surprised that The Darkest Hour appears to prove that there just might be more than just fumes in the creative tank after all. I’m not going to try to convince you that the film doesn’t rely on much of the tried and true standby material.
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Immortals (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 16th, 2012

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“When this world was still young, long before man or beast roamed these lands, there was a war in the heavens. Immortals, once thought incapable of death, discovered they had the power to kill one another. Lost in the war was a weapon of unimaginable power: The Epirus Bow.”

I know there are a lot of you out there who can’t wait for the huge 300 sequel: 300 The Battle Of Artemisia. You might even have your calendar circled for the Clash Of The Titans remake sequel Wrath Of The Titans, also on the horizon.
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Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by M. W. Phillips on February 29th, 2012

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“Remember… Winter is coming.”

Very rarely, the stars align and a media magic event happens, creating a flawless television series. Such an event happened last year with the premiere of HBO’s Game of Thrones based on the novels from George R.R. Martin’s best selling and ongoing series A Song of Ice and Fire. HBO was so pleased with the series, it green-lit the second season only hours after the pilot premiered. Co-President Richard Plepler said, “We told George (R.R. Martin) we’d go as long as he kept writing.”
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In Time (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 18th, 2012

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“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.
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Twilight Saga – Breaking Dawn Part 1

Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on February 16th, 2012

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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.
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Transformers: Dark of the Moon (3D Limited Edition) (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on February 15th, 2012

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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.
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Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 23rd, 2011

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It all started with a very short novel by French author Pierre Boulle. It wasn’t even that much of a hit at first. But a small group of Hollywood moguls led by Arthur P. Jacobs believed in the property and worked hard to get a film made. It wasn’t easy. They had to interest a big star and make a test reel in order to get anyone to bite. Fortunately for us all, Fox did bite. After five films, a television series, and a cartoon run, the franchise ran out of steam by the middle of the 1970’s.
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The Rocketeer: 20th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 22nd, 2011

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“How about… The Rocketeer?”

Back in 1972 Elton John pushed himself to the top of the charts atop the hit song Rocket Man, who was burning out his fuse up here alone. Well, it wasn’t going to be a very long long time before Disney and company gave us a Rocket Man in their family drama/comedy The Rocketeer. It was the first day of summer in 1991 when The Rocketeer first appeared. The box office was moderate, but it had seemed like he disappeared from the scene for a long long time.
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Another Earth (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 14th, 2011

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“Within our lifetimes, we’ve marveled as biologists have managed to look at ever smaller and smaller things. And astronomers have looked further and further into the dark night sky, back in time and out in space. But maybe the most mysterious of all is neither the small nor the large: it’s us, up close.”

Another Earth has all the earmarks of a first feature film for director Mike Cahill. It’s also quite obvious that the director is far more comfortable in the documentary style of filmmaking.
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Smallville: The Complete Tenth Season (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 12th, 2011

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Look up in the sky. It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s…. well, Clark Kent. And we finally have to say goodbye to the wonderful universe that this show has brought to the Superman mythology. With the show ending on its own terms we expected a lot from this season, and it was something just short of impossible for the cast and crew to deliver on those fans expectations. The season wasn’t perfect, and I’m sure that each fan walked away disappointed in something that happened, or more likely didn’t happen.
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Doctor Who: The Complete Sixth Series (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 6th, 2011

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“On every world wherever people are, in the deepest part of the winter, at the exact midpoint, everybody stops and turns and hugs. As if to say, “Well done! Well done, everyone! We’re halfway out of the dark.” Back on Earth, we call this Christmas, or the Winter Solstice. On this world, the first settlers called it the Crystal Feast. You know what I call it? I call it expecting something for nothing!”

In 2005 the BBC decided to bring back the gone-but-never-forgotten character.
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Super 8 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 28th, 2011

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It is 1979. While filming a Super 8 horror movie, a group of young friends on the cusp of adolescence witness a spectacular train wreck. They later discover that they accidentally captured evidence that there was an alien creature on the train, and it is now loose in their small town. But if the mysterious disappearance of dogs, engines and (increasingly) people wasn’t trouble enough, the military descends upon the community with an agenda far more merciless and inhuman than that of the alien itself.
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Farscape: The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 22nd, 2011

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“My name is John Crichton…an astronaut. Four years ago, I got…shot through a wormhole to a distant part of the galaxy. I ending up on this ship…this living ship, populated by escaping prisoners…who became my friends. I made enemies…”

Take a magical journey with me now. I don’t mean into outer space. It’s a journey back in time to a day when the SyFy Channel was called the Sci-Fi Channel. A day when it was an exciting and promising place on the cable dial.
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Robotech: The Complete Original Series

Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on November 11th, 2011

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In the 1980’s, I feasted on a bevy of animation growing up. I watched typical cartoon shows like Transformers, G.I. Joe, and Voltron. Honestly, my habits were to watch every piece of animation that came across in those days at least once. Yes, even the Care Bears. But sadly despite all of that, I completely missed some great ones. One of those truly great ones was the Robotech series. Now, with an 85 episode behemoth of a complete series set, I get a chance to rectify that grave injustice.
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Planet 51

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 8th, 2011

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This is the DVD release of the film whose Blu-ray incarnation was reviewed by Gino, so I’m going to let him take it away for the review of the film itself. I’ll check back in for the specs.

“It’s back to the 1950?s with its telltale alien invasion science fiction matinees. There’s Doo Wop coming out of the radio. The cars have tail fins and plenty of color and chrome. That’s right. This is 1950?s Americana. Well … almost. You see, the alien invaders are humaniacs. They turn the helpless population into mind-controlled zombies, and they eat brains for breakfast.
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The Quatermass Xperiment (aka Creeping Unknown)

Posted in No Huddle by Archive Authors on November 7th, 2011

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“For the first time in the history of the world, man has sent a rocket 1500 miles into space. You can’t expect such an experiment to be perfect.”

There’s this home video of my sister as a strawberry blonde toddler at a family picnic. Sticky watermelon caresses her cherubic face as she sings the phrase she captured that day, “And again? And again and again, and again?” Yes, chipmunk-voiced Bela: again and again. That’s how often I’d watch Quatermass Xperiment. It’s so rich in storytelling and layered delivery that I’ll watch it more than once to fully appreciate it
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Captain America: The First Avenger (Blu-ray)(3D)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 28th, 2011

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In the world of Marvel comics Captain America was indeed the first Avenger, and as the full title implies we’re going quite a way into the past to create this hero. But the first shall be last, and it’s certainly true on this long road to the May 2012 release of The Avengers on film. You see, this is the final piece to the puzzle for that great assembly of heroes. We’ve had two chances to witness both The Hulk and Iron Man and a recent film introduction to Thor. Other characters like Black Widow and Hawk Eye came as guests on the other films. But the introductions are now complete.
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Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 27th, 2011

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In the wake of the financially successful but critically drubbed Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Michael Bay and company return to the fray with this considerably more coherent exercise. Given that this movie committed to advancing the cause of 3D like no other film since Avatar, the question arises as to how well its visual splendour and over-the-top technological extravagance will translate to home video. The answer is: pretty damn well.
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