Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on June 22nd, 2016
Disaster films are something that for me screams American cinema of the 90’s. I know there were films before that had come out, but a good portion of my teen years of the 90’s were of the mega-blockbuster variety like Twister, Dante’s Peak, The Perfect Storm, and so forth. Now we have The Wave, the first disaster film to come out of Norway, and from the looks of the trailers they were going for something BIG. This is a film that comes out with so much potential and is a film that could even possibly find an American audience that could look past the fact that subtitles may be involved. With the way technology has come along over the years, smaller countries have been able to produce films as big as anything released in our cinemas here in the states. Now here’s the question: is it any good, though?
Welcome to the small mountain town of Geiranger, Norway. It’s a quaint little town that attracts tourists with its isolation and beautiful landscape. But having this little slice of vacation paradise comes at a price. Geiranger sits in an area that has a lot of activity with the rocks moving beneath the surface, this movement geologists believe will one day cause a collapse of a mountain spilling into the fjord below which will create a massive Tsunami. Basically Geiranger is a town simply waiting to be wiped out by this massive wave. This is where we meet Kristian (Kristoffer Joner), a geologist that has been studying Geiranger for years but is now moving away to the city for a “better job”. It comes as no surprise that as he and his family are packing and ready to move that Kristian is troubled by recent recordings from around the area and has a feeling something bad is going to happen. (One thing I’ve learned from disaster films, always listen to the nut job that believes the end is coming.)
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on June 22nd, 2016
I laughed more than I expected to. That best summarizes my experience with Casual Encounters, a modern day depiction of what the dating world has essentially become these days. Trust me, I have witnessed it firsthand, and the days of positive connection are nearly gone. Tragic but true; however, there remains hope that people can find true love in some of the most low-tech ways, which is another good addition to the B movie.
Justin is devastated after a humiliating breakup with his longtime girlfriend. Stuck in a dead-end job at a call center, his life has not gone in the direction that he had hoped it would. As he begins to enter a spiral of despair, his buddy Sammy talks him into trying online dating using a dating site called Casual Encounters. Doubtful of the possibility of finding a match, Justin merely goes along until a surprisingly albeit successful night ends in a hookup.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on June 20th, 2016
Pop quiz! Which of the following titles belong to Shark Week specials, and which of them are the names of SyFy original movies? Zombie Sharks, Sharkageddon, Monster Hammerhead, Lair of the Mega Shark, and Sharksanity. (I'll give you a few seconds to mull it over...ok, ready to guess?) The answer, of course, is that *all* of those titles belong to Shark Week, Discovery Channel's long-running, wildly popular, and increasingly ludicrous summertime ritual.
The very first Shark Week aired in 1988, and its longevity is a testament to viewers’ enduring fascination with the majestic, sharp-toothed creatures. Of course, the flip side of that longevity is that coming up with new material each year is getting more and more difficult. Jawsome Encounters is a 13-episode DVD set that (mostly) features episode from 2014.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on June 16th, 2016
“And away we go”
While I enjoyed the first season of Rick and Morty, I wasn’t all that sure about the show’s staying power with Adult Swim. I’d talked about the show with some friends, but for the most part this seems to be a show that finds its fan base more in their late teens. It’s fair to say it’s been more than a few years since I was a teenager, so perhaps it shouldn’t be much of a surprise I was a little hesitant with this season (feel free to check out my review of Season 1). Maybe I’m just more in touch with my inner teen, or maybe Rick and Morty has stepped out and into the realm of a broader audience, because Season 2 kept me laughing throughout. The show, for those who may be unfamiliar, is something of a blend between Back to the Future and more than a sprinkle of Futurama. If that sounds like a fun ride, well, then this may be the animated series for you.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on June 16th, 2016
“Ok, so hear me out…ever watch action movies?”
It’s clear that Canadian filmmaker Allan Ungar and practically everyone involved with Gridlocked have seen their share of action flicks. More specifically, this crew is out to recapture the raucous, rowdy, R-rated spirit of late ‘80s and ‘90s franchises like Lethal Weapon and Die Hard. While Gridlocked doesn’t come close to matching the wit or winning formula of those action classics, this straight-to-DVD effort still manages to be a pretty fun throwback.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 16th, 2016
“He tasks me. He tasks me, and I shall have him! I'll chase him 'round the moons of Nibia and 'round the Antares Maelstrom and 'round Perdition's flames before I give him up!”
After its shortened three year run, it looked like Star Trek was dead and gone. A very short lived animation series was the first attempt to carry on. Before long it too was a thing of the past. Then something rather amazing happened. Star Trek found a home in syndication. The local television markets aired the shows in a somewhat edited form, and they were rewarded with record-breaking local ratings. It didn’t take long before Paramount saw the possibilities. By the mid 1970’s there were plans to bring the original crew back for a new television series. The development name for this show was Star Trek: Phase Two. Scripts were written, sets were designed and constructed, and all of the original cast except for Nimoy were on board. A new Vulcan science officer named Xon was added to the cast. The idea was that the new Star Trek would anchor a proposed Paramount Television Network. The network idea fell through, and Star Trek was in limbo. Then George Lucas came along with his space opera Star Wars. Fans were lining up for blocks to see the epic adventure. Science fiction had proven itself at the box office, and Star Trek was back on, this time as a major motion picture. Gene Roddenberry was back in the producer seat, and veteran director Robert Wise was at the helm. On December 7th 1979 I was in the Fox North theaters with seven friends from 10:00 AM until after 10:00 PM for an endless marathon of… But the film ultimately disappointed.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Dan Holland on June 16th, 2016
“I heard that if you don’t give him a name, he’ll turn the children into icicles.”
It has been a long time since I have seen a decent psychological thriller, and Altered Minds is a great film to bring me back to this type of film. To give readers a frame of reference, films like Identity or Session 9: they are most certainly part of the “psychological thriller” genre, but you are led to believe there are supernatural forces at work during the film. Then, just when you think the film will have a supernatural climax, you are offered a twist ending that is not supernatural and actually makes sense to the plot. I won’t say that Altered Minds is better than Session 9, but it is definitely on par with Identity in terms of how much I enjoyed myself while watching the film.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Archive Authors on June 15th, 2016
I previously reviewed Season 3 of Sisters in May of this year, so Sisters lovers, you can go back and review. In dealing with this season, I am going to focus on character, because as much as any show can, this show focuses on the differences between people who are very close with ties of family and love. Sisters is well known to be a women’s show, and I wouldn’t disagree, nor would I intimate that it is a bad thing to be labeled as such. So many shows have been focused on an assumed male dominance in society, but Sisters was a show that brought the power of women to the forefront. It was also one of the first shows to show a female audience had an important demographical significance. But I don’t want to make this an ideological dissertation. I am simply going to look at the purity and relevance of the show, even today. The show originally ran for six seasons from 1991 to 1996, but it still resonates as a special and unique show. It was far from perfect, but its positive qualities cannot be denied. It may have been little more than a nighttime soap opera with undertones of comic absurdity. It also was in the forefront of issues at the time including dealing with rape, AIDS, and parental rights.
The characters were the focus, and each character had a unique perspective. Alex (Swoozie Kurtz) is the eldest sister who is well off, self-centered, and superficial but constantly deals with adversity with unknown reserves of strength. Teddy (Sela Ward) is impulsive, free-spirited, and strong-willed. She often takes a combative and argumentative stance but is always there for anyone who needs her. Georgie (Patricia Kalember) is stable, centered, and family-oriented but has been given to bouts of severe depression. Frankie (Julianne Phillips) is a workaholic businesswoman and youngest sister who has hidden insecurities and is hypercritical of all her failures. The husbands were somewhat secondary figures, but Georgie’s husband, John (Garret M. Brown) was the most consistent presence over the life of the show. John was stable and reliable and loving, but his marriage did have ups and downs nonetheless. The second most consistent male presence on the show was Mitch (Ed Marinaro), who was originally married to Teddy and then switched over to Frankie. Mitch was best known for being a little pigheaded and emotionally stunted but ultimately striving to be the best person he could be.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 15th, 2016
"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."
The rumors were rampant, and I won't address them at all here. Chances are you know the spoilers, if you want to know them, already. I won't chance ruining it for the few that have avoided any information on the film. I will tell you that Abrams has managed to weave a touching love letter to the Trek faithful into what again is a hugely mainstream film that should kick some serious butt at the box office once again. It's almost as if he wanted to thank the fans who did finally climb aboard his Enterprise. There's a tribble, and you'll find a model of the NX-01 Enterprise, among others. The writers pay tribute to some of Trek's best phrases. Of course McCoy's going to deliver one of his "I'm a doctor not a..." lines.
Scotty's going to be called a miracle worker. And the film ends with the beginning of the crew's five-year mission. This film is just as good at appealing to the masses, but it manages to bring the faithful in with enough nods and references to bring tearful smiles to our faces. There's a lot of love here. Maybe it didn't come from Abrams at all. Credit it to writers Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and to a lesser degree Damon Lindelof. They are confirmed Trek fans, and it shows.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on June 15th, 2016
“It's ok to be upset. We're all upset.”
A War is about a Danish commander and his weary, overwhelmed young soldiers fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. But besides finding a fresh angle to explore a conflict that has essentially been going on for the entire 21st century — Denmark sent nearly 10,000 military personnel to Afghanistan between 2002 and 2013 — this morally complex movie succeeds because it fully explores the toll war takes on everyone involved. In this case, that also includes the unfortunate civilians caught in between the gunfire and at least one weary, overwhelmed wife/mother back home with three young children.
