Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on August 20th, 2015
In a relatively short amount of time, Moguldom Studios has built up a diverse stable of bite-size documentaries that focus on contemporary African American life. Some would say these independent “docutainment” films are limiting themselves to a niche audience, but I appreciate them for tackling well-worn topics from a different cultural perspective. Bottoms Up: Rise of the Backside is one of two largely superficial plastic surgery docs released by the production company this week. The cheeky (ha!) title was my first clue that this wouldn’t be a totally serious examination of the subject.
“Ass opens doors…literally.”
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 19th, 2015
CBS has finally decided to release the number-one-rated show in the world on high-definition Blu-ray. It's a milestone event for the network and for fans of the show, and it only took 12 years to get it done. To be fair, Blu-ray hasn't quite been around for 12 years, but many networks have gotten us caught up with popular shows in high definition by this time. It's remarkable that it did take this long to get a season of NCIS on Blu-ray. Let's hope the numbers warrant that future seasons be given the same treatment and that we'll then be able to get the previous 11. It's an experiment CBS has tried with both CSI and NCIS: LA. Unfortunately, numbers must not have supported that move. But if ever a series deserved to live a long life in high definition, this is the one.
Special Agent Gibbs (Harmon) heads up this group of criminal investigators. Harmon has always been good, but I dare you to find a character he’s played better. He just eats up the part. You won’t have any trouble believing that Gibbs is the seasoned veteran investigator leading this team. Special Agent DiNozzo (Weatherly) is a former Baltimore homicide detective who often lets his determination run his investigation into trouble. He’ll bend a rule or throw a punch, whatever it takes to bring down the bad guy. Pauley Perrette plays the goth chick/forensic specialist Abby Sciuto. She reminds me a ton of the Penelope Garcia character from Criminal Minds. She’s flirty, far too informal for Gibbs, but is a lot smarter and tougher than she appears. Making himself more visible in this series is David McCallum as pathologist Ducky Millard. Ducky is the Quincy of the group as he checks out the bodies. His dry wit makes him my favorite character on the show. Sean Murray plays Tim McGee, who we've seen go from a young man with little self-confidence to a strong agent in the field. That doesn't mean he still doesn't suffer the barbs of Tony's sarcasm. Last season we were introduced to Emily Wickersham as Agent Ellie Bishop. She comes with a little history. She had applied for the job years ago, and something about her stayed with Gibbs. She's not a copy of Ziva by any means. She's a fresh face who also brings a lot of odd quirks. She loves to sit on the floor or often on desks or tabletops. She's a bit bouncy and likely will bond well with Abby. She rubs the old-school guys the wrong way a little at first, but they quickly respect her unique perspective. She's a good fit, and I don't think it will take long for you to warm up to her. She's settled in and already feels like a part of the team dynamic.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 19th, 2015
“I am William Castle, the director of the motion picture you are about to see. I feel obligated to warn you that some of the sensations, some of the physical reactions which the actors on the screen will feel, will also be experienced for the first time in motion picture history, by certain members of this audience. I say certain members, because some people are more sensitive than others. These unfortunate sensitive people will, at times, feel a strange tingling sensation. Others will feel it less strongly…”
Horror fans feel very strongly about William Castle. Now Mill Creek has put together five of his films on two DVDs. It's a bare-bones collection, to be sure. But there are always a few extra chills when you're talking about William Castle.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on August 19th, 2015
Discovery Channel’s annual Shark Week extravaganza is billed as “cable’s longest-running programming event.” The summertime ritual premiered 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 increasingly difficult. As a result, this new Dominating the Deep DVD set features some legitimately thrilling moments alongside a few too many episodes that rely on flimsy science, and myth-making sensationalism to entertain audiences.
Then again, what the heck do I know? Dominating the Deep includes Shark Week episodes from 2013, which kicked off with what was probably the most controversial piece of programming in the series’ history. Not surprisingly, “Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives” was also the most popular. The two-hour “documentary” supposedly tells the story of a fishing vessel that was attacked by an unknown predator off the coast of South Africa. We follow a marine biologist named Collin Drake as he and his team try to identify the culprit. Eventually, Drake settles on the notion that the perpetrator was the prehistoric megalodon shark.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 19th, 2015
"It's 1945 and World War II is over. Hitler is defeated. But over eight million Nazis remain. Now Allies must conduct interrogations to identify Nazi offenders, from war criminals to the girl next door. What emerges is a startling history of the rise and fall of the Third Reich from a unique perspective: the Nazis themselves. What you are about to see and hear is based on their real interrogations. This is what they told us."
It's always been true that history is written by the victors. Usually theirs is the only voice remaining, and in the time before such inventions as audio recordings and film, that was surely the case. World War II would be an early example of the exception. Hitler is remembered as much for the endless footage we have as much as he is for the atrocities he delivered upon the earth. The war crimes trials in Nuremburg give us a unique look into the minds of these fanatics. This is the first documentary I have encountered that is dedicated exclusively to the material that came from the investigations for those trials. Consider these as depositions to that procedure. It's a rather unique idea with some powerful potential. Certainly there are lessons to be learned here. Unfortunately, A&E didn't quite live up to their own standards and expectations with the six-part Last Days Of The Nazis.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 17th, 2015
"Welcome to The Knick."
The Knick is the fictional Knickerbocker hotel in 1900 New York. It's a hospital that was once part of an affluent neighborhood but now finds itself in an area falling to poverty. Still it's a place where innovations are being made on a daily basis, thanks to an inspired group of doctors led by Dr. J.M. Christiansen (Frewer) and his relentless search to find ways to decrease the mortality rate in surgery patients. So the hospital continues to have a great reputation, even if the local poverty is now causing The Knick to lose money, something the board of directors is looking to turn around.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 17th, 2015
"We are being watched. The government has a secret system. A machine that spies on you every hour of every day. I designed the machine to detect acts of terror, but it sees everything. Violent crimes involving ordinary people. The government considers these people irrelevant. We don't. Hunted by the authorities, we work in secret. You'll never find us. But victim or perpetrator, if your number is up, we'll find you."
The premise of Person Of Interest was turned on its head in season 3. If you are new to the show, don't even think about starting here. But if you're caught up, you know exactly what I'm talking about. A new rival machine named Samaritan has gone operational. The library has been abandoned, and our team has had to take new identities to trick the machine. For the start, they are invisible, but if they get noticed, Samaritan will eliminate them as threats to its survival. It's an apt designation, because they are, indeed. It's a war between two gods, we are reminded throughout. And the stakes are higher than they've ever been on the show. So I received a new number to investigate. It's the fourth season of Person Of Interest, and it's out now on Blu-ray. And this is what I found out.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on August 17th, 2015
The Killing will leave behind two lasting legacies: it's the show that wouldn't die, and it could never quite stick the landing. The bleak crime drama drew intense criticism after failing to resolve its central mystery at the end of season 1, and was canceled by AMC after wrapping up the Rosie Larsen case in the season 2 finale. The show got a last-minute reprieve when AMC ordered a third season that I personally considered to be show's strongest. But instead of leaving well enough alone, The Killing returned for a six-episode fourth season on Netflix.
“Everybody has a secret.”
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on August 17th, 2015
Everyone on TV has nicer clothes and a bigger home than you do. And I’m not just talking about fictional doctors or lawyers. Even small-screen characters with relatively modest incomes manage to live in palatial apartments. Need proof? The 2 Broke Girls in CBS’s hit sitcom have an apartment that is literally big enough to fit a horse. (Hi, Chestnut.) Season 4 even manages to squeeze in a gaggle of Victoria's Secret models (Ep. 6/“And the Model Apartment”), and the girls' building gets a new tenant when lewd line cook Oleg (Jonathan Kite) moves in with larger-than-life upstairs neighbor Sophie (Jennifer Coolidge), leading to the one-liner “the booty call is coming from inside the house.”
“You two are a combination of sugar and spice...and things not so nice.”
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on August 14th, 2015
“You will remain my prisoners until you've told me what really happened in Masada.”
Those words are spoken by Flavius Josephus, the real-life historian for the Romans who chronicled the Siege of Masada. In The Dovekeepers, Josephus is talking to two iron-willed female prisoners who also happen to be among the few people who survived the attack. Their story is told in flashback, and this two-part miniseries brushes up against some interesting points about who gets to write humanity's history. But in telling the story from a female perspective — an admirable, out-of-the-box idea — this miniseries reduces a complex, fascinating historical event into a stiff, protracted soap opera.
