Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Archive Authors on September 17th, 2012
The History Channel likes to market some of its more popular shows on DVD. The series Modern Marvels had a winner in James Bond Gadgets. It certainly ties in with a James Bond movie collection. This DVD has three sections, two of them devoted to the gadgets and a third from the Biography channel on Ian Fleming which adds up to over three hours of material.
The jet pack was an early favorite. This is remembered from the film Thunderball. The jet pack has been around for 35 years, and there is actually one that remains in use to this day and has been an uproarious addition to sporting events. A similar device is an auto gyro, which is a kind of one-man mini helicopter. A type of this vehicle was used in You Only Live Twice. There is a Q-Boat from The World Is Not Enough. The Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger. The BMW Z8 in The World Is Not Enough, which is cut in half in the film. The Lotus from The Spy Who Loved Me, which was a submarine car. The BMW 750 from Tomorrow Never Dies with dozens of defense systems. The Rolls Royce Phantom 3 from Goldfinger. The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish which is priced around $250,000 dollars and is one of the latest Bond cars. Then it shows modern spy devices that are actually used today and how they were inspired by Bond. Then we visit Special Tactical Services in Virginia which is a training complex for all kinds of elite weapons and equipment expertise. It includes every type of specialized training that will prepare an operative for anything unexpected in the field. The second program elaborates on the first with Acrostar Mini Jet and the Spiral Jump stunt and all sorts of Bond arcana.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on September 17th, 2012
It seems the new recycled trend in horror is the exorcism/ possession genre. For me personally this is the only horror genre that tends to get to me, since I was brought up Catholic and the thought of the devil possessing me was thought to be a very real possibility. The strange thing is The Exorcist seems to be the only film that I would consider great and would even say it’s one of the greatest horror films of all time. Many films have tried to deliver, but in the end the films seem to just fall flat, the closest being The Last Exorcism though that film also has its fair share of naysayers. But I believe one day we’ll get a film that will rank up there with The Exorcist. But that film is not Devil Seed.
As the opening credits roll we are given flashes of an exorcism gone terribly wrong in Boston, Mass back in 1972. We jump to present day as Alex (Michelle Argyris) returns from visiting her sick grandmother. In the time she’s been gone Alex’s roommates Jess and Bree have moved into a bigger and nicer place, and lucky for them the rent is still the same. One look at the house and you know bad things are going to happen here (for some reason it sort of reminded me of the Amityville house but on a smaller scale). While Alex has been gone, the new place isn’t the only thing to change. Apparently over the summer her boyfriend Brian has been sleeping with her roommate Bree. Brian cheating on his girlfriend of two years is only the starting point to how much of a douche this guy turns out to be, but I’ll hold off on that for now.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on September 16th, 2012
As I was watching the new Ocean’s Eleven for the 185th time — it’s the last movie I saw twice on the same day in theaters — it occurred to me that the stakes were entirely too high. Three casinos…$160 million…the threat of being caught and glared at by Andy Garcia. The Babymakers, on the other hand, builds up to a heist with absurdly low stakes. It’s basically like Ocean’s Eleven, only the exact opposite.
After a few years of marriage, Tommy (Paul Schneider) and Audrey (Olivia Munn) decide they want to have a baby. We then watch Tommy try to get Audrey pregnant — strategic camera angles keep Munn mostly modest — without any success. Since it appears that Tommy is shooting blanks, the couple decides to visit a fertility clinic after receiving a bunch of advice from their respective groups of friends that I’m not sure I’m allowed to repeat on this site.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Bob Ross on September 14th, 2012
It was an excellent experience in 1997, when I reviewed Titanic as it opened in America’s theaters. A sweeping disaster epic wrapped around a passionate romantic drama, the film quickly dispelled early rumors that it would sink faster than the actual boat did 100 years ago. Yes, I liked the movie a bunch. I admired its scope, its detail, its amazing effects and its superb cast. Director James Cameron’s extensive, expensive production schedule was vindicated by critics and box-office alike. Yet, somehow I never really wanted to see it again. Too intense, too tragic, too overwrought. Maybe it was just that horrid Celine Dion song.
I was wrong. “Titanic” is well worth a second look – especially if you can see Cameron’s astonishing reprocessing of his work into a three-dimensional spectacle par excellence. For one thing, you forget a lot of details after 15 years. And there’s no better way to be reminded of such things than to see them on a meticulously remastered 3D Blu-ray.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 14th, 2012
"If there's a theme, you could call it The Return..."
Warner Brothers has entered the popular scene with yet another vampire series taken from yet another powerful franchise of popular books. Enter The Vampire Diaries. While I've avoided the Twilight series so far (I've had my fill of teenage angst as a high school teacher). The series follows loosely the series of novels written by L.J. Smith. If you're a fan of the books, you have to take a few things into consideration. Characters work differently on screen than in a book, so many of them have been changed. Perhaps the biggest change is that Elena's four-year-old sister is now a teenage younger brother. You may not like the change, but it does make for better prime-time drama, doesn't it? The crew attempted to keep as close to the source material as possible, while attempting to create their own special television universe. I'm not sure about the books. I've never read them. I do know that this show works.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 14th, 2012
Shonda Rhimes had a big hit on her hands with Grey’s Anatomy, so after five years she did what comes naturally in her situation. You spin the success off in the hope that the fans can’t get enough in just one night. At first it appeared to me she had chosen the wrong character to put out on her own. I mean, I never considered Kate Walsh as Addison to be one of the show’s more compelling characters. The show was presented as what the business calls an imbedded episode on Grey’s. What that means is that the situation is set up during one of the original show’s episodes. In this case a two-parter called The Other Side Of Life. The idea is that you want to be sure that your existing show’s fans at least watch the pilot in the hope that they will consider it a part of their beloved series. I got to watch that episode when I was called upon to review the fifth season of Grey’s.
Dr. Addison Montgomery (Walsh) is looking for a change. She’s feeling a little burned out in Seattle at Grace Memorial Hospital, where she carries a ton of baggage. She heads down to L.A. to visit a friend who has his own clinic in the sunny city. The clinic practices something called co-op medicine. Specialists from various fields come together to treat their patients in a more holistic manner. Dr. Naomi Bennett (McDonald), specializing in fertility, and her ex-husband Dr. Sam Bennett (Diggs) started the place. Dr. Violet Turner (Brennemen) and Dr. Sheldon Wallace (Benben) are the clinic’s shrinks. Dr. Cooper Freedman (Adelstein) is the pediatrician. Dr. Peter Wilder (Daley) is the herbal medicine specialist. He’s also got a rep for sleeping with all of the other women and even running some out of the clinic. Dr. Charlotte King (Strickland) is a partner and also chief of surgery at the hospital. Derek's sister Amelia (Scorsone) has also dropped in as the staff neurologist.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 13th, 2012
Grey's Anatomy was originally going to end in its 8th season, and the final episode nearly leaves us with a pretty good indication that it would actually happen. The show's fate was on the bubble for a little while and it seemed that both Grey's and its sister show Private Practice might be leaving the airwaves forever. Of course, now we know that both shows are returning in the fall. Both will have major shake-ups. Without seeing the first episode of the upcoming season I'm left with some doubt as to how much of the show's current format will remain intact. As it was there were some serious events leading up to the explosive cliffhanger.
Grey’s Anatomy follows the life and tribulations of a group of doctors and interns at Seattle Grace Hospital. There’s certainly nothing original about the premise, except that the story is told by one of the more unlikely characters, Dr. Meredith Grey (Pompeo). As a lead she’s really not all that remarkable, but the show doesn’t put everything on her narrow shoulders. The series is populated by a solid supporting cast, giving it all a far more ensemble feel despite the title. James Pickens, Jr. is perhaps the most extraordinary actor in the show. He’s underused, but steals every scene he’s in. His Dr. Webber is a powerfully serious voice in an otherwise often frivolous world. Chandra Wilson as the once-intern teacher Dr. Bailey is another standout performance, offering tremendous range. Her character, often referred to as a Nazi by her interns, is capable of outstanding empathy just when it’s required. Too many of the characters serve as eye candy, but I can’t say that any of them don’t have some good acting chops. The show is also populated by Patrick Dempsey as the "McDreamy" Doctor Shepherd. Rome's Kevin McKidd as ex-Army doctor Owen Hunt who is recovering from psychological trauma from his days in combat. Jessica Capshaw is the always bright and cheery Dr. Arizona Robbins, who runs the hospital's pediatric unit. She's an item with rough-around-the-edges Callie. The hospital's cosmetic surgeon and resident playboy is Mark Sloan, played by Eric Dane. This is the sleazy guy that fans love to boo and hiss at. Chyler Leigh plays Lexie, Meredith's young and often too-optimistic sister.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on September 12th, 2012
Less than 100 years ago, the Mexican government declared war on the Catholic Church. This movie tells the story of the ensuing conflict known as Cristiada (also called the Cristero War), which took place between 1926 and 1929. In showing us all the different ways war can affect a country and all the different ways rebels can contribute to a cause, the movie sort of forgot to tell us why the Mexican government declared war on the church in the first place.
For Greater Glory is told from the perspective of the brave souls who stood up to the oppressive Mexican government led by President Plutarco Elias Calles (Ruben Blades). This includes members of the non-violent National League for the Defense of Religious Liberty like real-life figure Anacleto Gonzalez Flores (Eduardo Verastegui) and a woman named Adriana (Catalina Sandino Moreno). The men and women who take up arms to join the cause — including a flashy, badass rebel named Victoriano “El Catorce” Ramirez (Oscar Isaac), who earned his nickname by single-handedly killing 14 men — are known as Cristeros.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 12th, 2012
Of the standup comedians that are working the circuits and bringing new material to the stage with every tour, my favorite guy without too much hesitation is Jim Gaffigan. His deadpan delivery of observational humor hits me just right. Whether he’s making comments about Hot Pockets, bacon, or just being lazy, he manages to pull humor from some of the most mundane things and make it relate to his entire audience.
For those unfamiliar with Gaffigan you may have seen him on such TV shows like That 70’s Show as well as the TBS series My Boys. Now if you’re still scratching your head trying to figure out where else you may have seen him, he’s also done some work on the big screen as well. He had a role in 13 Going on 30, 17 Again, Going the Distance, Away We Go, and many other roles. If even still you’re shaking your head, its okay, because for those that are new to the comedic styling of Jim Gaffigan, Mr. Universe is a nice introduction for a first time viewer.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on September 12th, 2012
It would be fair to say Lewis Black is not for everyone. When in the mood for comedy, few people would decide on watching an old man rant and rave on a stage to the point you expect him to simply keel over from a self induced heart attack. You won’t find any puppets or redneck humor when watching one of Black’s routines. In fact what you can expect is at some point to maybe get a little upset if not outright offended. But that’s okay. He knows his routine is not for everyone, so much so in fact he even opens this show with a note of warning about what to expect from his show. And then the anger-fueled rants continue from there.
When I first sat down for this I really wasn’t sure what I’d be getting into, since all I had seen to judge him on were from the times he appeared on The Daily Show. But I have to say he had me reeled in once he started ranting about the absurdity of Valentine’s Day being six weeks after Christmas and at the height of flu season. Granted I can’t even picture Black celebrating any holiday with the exception of possibly April Fool’s and using it as ammunition to simply degrade people even more.
