Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 22nd, 2018
"Maybe we could use a dad's night out."
Let me begin this review by stating that I did not see the first Daddy's Home film. There are pros and cons to that situation. I'm not really in a good position to judge the film's value or quality as a sequel, and I wasn't familiar with any of these characters when I started to watch the film. It does, however put me in a good place to evaluate this film on its own merits. Is it the kind of sequel that functions as a standalone film, or will you be lost from the start with no chance to catch up? I'm happy to say that I never felt like I was at a disadvantage. Yeah, there were moments where I felt like I wasn't part of the inside joke, but those moments are actually quite rare.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on February 22nd, 2018
The days of drive-in cinema and grindhouse pictures are all part of a bygone era, where the films were fearless and took chances with their subject matter. Now films seemed to be made so carefully as to not offend anyone. When it comes to Macon County Line, as much as it is a staple of its time, it’s hard to imagine this film being made today. It’s a film that’s a blend of two genres. It’s a road film, but because of the location and characters, it’s also a good ol’ boy picture. So how does this drive-in classic fare on Blu-ray? Despite having a runtime of 88 minutes, the story doesn’t rush into anything but instead lets us get to know the two brothers Chris (Alan Vint) and Wayne Dixon (Jesse Vint) who are on a quick joyride before they enlist in the military.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Dan Holland on February 22nd, 2018
I always have a significant degree of excitement when watching a film that takes place in Florida, especially when it is filmed in a place I either live or have lived. The Punisher (2004) was filmed in downtown Tampa, and Miami Connection (1987) in downtown Orlando and the University of Central Florida’s campus. To further explain this excitement, I even waited till 3 AM on a busy street in Seminole Heights, Tampa, hoping to get a chance to see a part of The Infiltrator (2016) when they began filming here. Inoperable does indeed take place in the Tampa area of Florida, but you really only come to understand that through the dialog.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Dan Holland on February 22nd, 2018
Neo-Liberalism is a concept that was introduced to me in 2014 while I was in graduate school. In an effort not to bore the reader and save my own amateur understanding from ridicule, I will not discuss the philosophical musings at length. However, I will briefly offer what I take to be the “important things to know” for reading this review. Essentially, Neo-Liberalism began as an economic ideology favoring policies that allow private businesses to function while uninhibited by the government. Then, from about the 1970’s onward, Western scholars brought popularity back to the term, allowing it to take on the characteristics of a catch-all term that ranges from economic structure, to economic philosophy, to academic discourse.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on February 21st, 2018
If The Wire isn't the greatest television show of all time, it's certainly in the conversation. That landmark HBO series was created by David Simon, who took a journalistic and novelistic approach in telling the story of a decaying city (Baltimore) and its various institutions. Now, Simon has teamed up with crime novelist George Pelecanos for The Deuce, which takes a similarly 360-degree approach in examining Times Square in the early 1970s and the evolution of the porn industry. Capturing every facet of that time and place doesn't just mean that The Deuce depicts the lives of pimps, prostitutes, and police officers. It also means the show is alternately thought-provoking, tragic and darkly funny.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 15th, 2018
Meet the most dysfunctional crime family since The Sopranos. Not quite at the same level either on-screen or in quality, but once again we're drawn toward another dangerous clan with criminal intent. I guess we could call them The Baritones. Actually, Animal Kingdom is an apt description for television's latest baddies. They've now wrapped up their second season of mayhem on TNT where the series was the network's top ratings winner. Now that second season is out from Warner Brothers, and it's another crazy ride, of that you can be certain. It's based, rather loosely by now, on an Aussie film starring Guy Pearce.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on February 15th, 2018
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: single gal pals looking for love — among other things — in the big city. On television, the trope dates back to the days of Laverne & Shirley and continues with more contemporary entries like Sex and the City and Girls. The queens kweens of Comedy Central's Broad City have given that timeless story hook a funny, druggy and tremendously weird spin for the past four seasons. That includes this most recent batch of episodes, which is lighter on comedy than usual as it explores the origin of NYC besties Abbi and Ilana's relationship...and the way even the closest friends can inevitably drift apart.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on February 14th, 2018
New cartoon series these days are a hard watch for me. Gone are the days of classic shows like X-Men, Batman: The Animated Series and even newer favorites like Regular Show which ended about a year ago. Now we get shows where it seems like it is one cheap joke after another including Teen Titans Go and that show about some kid named Steven. So, I wasn't too thrilled to get the newest incarnation of Ben 10 on my review desk a couple of weeks ago. That's when I decided to employ the talents of my 2 year old son, Keaton and see if he can offer some insight.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on February 9th, 2018
The notion of having one of comics’ famous costumed detectives face Jack the Ripper is simply one of those ideas I can’t help but smile with geeky joy thinking about. Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, takes the caped crusader back to the early turn of the 19th century, a time when Gotham City was in its early days, before skyscrapers flooded its landscape. This unique take does offer up some fun twists on the legend of the character ,but also takes many liberties of historical events that actually took place. This kind of revisionist history can be fun; take Inglorious Basterds for instance, but how much should you really play with actual history and set character mythology? This is definitely a new playground for the creators to play with, so how does the animated film shake out?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on February 9th, 2018
“There was a guy on TV the other night. Had a theory that nearly a quarter of all so-called fatal accidents were actually murders. That's ridiculous...it's only about 10 percent.”
It's one of the more familiar action/thriller tropes: an apparent suicide or accidental death that actually turns out to be an elaborate murder. Usually that story is told from the perspective of the murder victim's loved one, who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth. What's cool about Accident Man — a stylish and rollicking action romp — is that it gives us an irreverent look at the cold-blooded killers who craftily carry out these cinematic crimes.
