Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on August 6th, 2012
Going into this film all I really knew was that it was written and directed by Mario Van Peebles (New Jack City) and a vague memory of the trailer I caught on a previous DVD I reviewed. One look at the unappealing cover and it had me thinking I got stuck with a low-budget Step Up knockoff, and I just really wasn’t looking forward to this film, but I do try and stay optimistic, because sometimes you never know when something good may come along. This is one of those films. It’s not great, and it’s hard to even consider putting this in the same league as The Breakfast Club as the DVD cover innocently makes that connection. But of all the high school films that have come out in previous years, in my humble opinion this may be the best one out there as it tackles some very delicate and important issues without coming off like a bad movie of the week.
With prom on the horizon and seniors getting ready for graduation and college, Hendrix (Mandella Van Peebles), a junior, has his mind set on getting a car of his own and asking Cheyenne (Simone Battle) a senior, to the prom. His friends are excited about the prom as well but more so about the prospect of losing their virginity by the night of the dance. They’re so excited that they make a bet to see who of their group will be the first to pop the proverbial cherry. The bad news for Hendrix is that Cheyenne has an overprotective father that just so happens to be a cop (played by Michael Jai White) and he won’t even consider a guy to date his daughter unless he at least has a 3.5 GPA. This minor speed bump doesn’t stop Hendrix from trying, so he asks for her help in tutoring him, and in return Hendrix offers to help her with her graduation video that revolves around the notion of success.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on August 4th, 2012
- "It's our duty, this is war."
- "Agreed, but even so let's remember our manners."
You know how Citizen Kane is considered by some to be the greatest film of all time? Well, I'm the kind of curious movie nerd who subsequently wonders which film was atop Kane auteur Orson Welles' personal list. Unfortunately, I can't ask him, but there's evidence suggesting the answer was Jean Renoir's La Grande Illusion/Grand Illusion.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 2nd, 2012
"It's one thing to see a great white shark on television or from the safe confines of a boat. It's another experience entirely to see the animals in their natural element. There simply is not a single creature on Earth that we're more afraid of."
Man’s always had a rather natural, and healthy, fear of sharks, but it was perhaps the 1975 film Jaws that brought all of those primordial fears bubbling to the surface of our pop culture. Since then sharks have taken an almost mythic position in our culture. They invade our fears, but more importantly they fascinate the heck out of us. Young or old, it doesn’t matter. Sharks are the new dinosaurs, and they aren’t going anywhere any time soon. Come face to face with some of the most dangerous creatures on the planet, with a level of clarity and detail that was once reserved only for those who shared their waters.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 2nd, 2012
"You have been summoned to a place beyond this Earth, a place beyond your understanding. A place with laughter and love, safety and happiness for all eternity. A trusted friend will accompany you to this other plain of existence. And your journey will begin. Watch for the signs, my friend. Godspeed and good luck."
The place you are being summoned to is that wacky film study group that is MST3K. Classes are about to begin again thanks to Shout Factory and their continuing release of these classic films and the men who hate them.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on August 2nd, 2012
The romantic comedy, the genre most guys avoid like the plague unless trying to score some points with the girlfriend. It’s the genre I seem to only like a handful of titles from, though the ones I do like seem to be my fallback films after a breakup. Beautiful Girls and High Fidelity seem to be the go-to films for me. With a triple feature of Rom-Com action heading my way I dug deep into my manly soul and told myself I can do this. If I can survive watching bad Tyler Perry knockoff films, then this lighthearted triple feature should be no trouble at all. Like a film-watching champ I sat back with my bag of Twizzlers, a big soda, and my note pad ready, I rolled the first film, Mumford.
Mumford
Posted in: Disc Reviews by William O'Donnell on August 2nd, 2012
I'll say this about a program that has remained consistant in quality for twenty seasons...it makes for challenging reviews. Talking about each season of Gunsmoke is difficult in that you either write briefly to try to avoid redundancies, but might seem too hasty, or you have to labour over each episode, in which case, you're only going to have hardcore fans paying attention. Since this website has touched on previous seasons: ( https://upcomingdiscs.com/?s=gunsmoke ) I shall opt for the former option, and hope y'all out there catch that I'm not being hasty...but respect a show that warrants no fresh complaints after 6 years a-runnin' thus far.
James Arness’ Marshall Matt Dillon is still the imposing, yet warm, lawman of Dodge. The tales in season 6 are frequntly violent, more violent than I recall in reviewing the previous seasons. This might not be saying a whole lot about a show whose opening credits are entirely comprised of a scene where the star of the show kills1 a man, but there just seemed to be that much more gun play in this season.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by William O'Donnell on August 1st, 2012
Who killed Mr. Boddy? Col. Mustard in the Library with the Wrench? Mrs. White in the Study with the Revolver? Maybe even the butler did it? A talented comedy cast bring the famous board game to life in a slapstick whodunnit where the chuckles mean more than solving the actual mystery.
The fun that is had in this film is created by the great ensemble cast, which includes Martin Mull, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean and Tim Curry as the frantic butler. Each character-actor plays off the others superbly well. There is a plethora of performances that vary from the straight-man persona to outright goofball, being employed as the body count rises and the suspicions reach a fever pitch.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on August 1st, 2012
Like a lot of people in general, I strive to get more bang for my buck. Whether it is in grocery shopping, video games or a pizza buffet, I always want to pay the bare minimum and reap the maximum benefit. Another area this holds true is movies. In my collection, there are double packs, triple features and quadruple showings. Today, it just so happens that we have a triple feature from Mill Creek Entertainment that brings us three thrillers: D.O.A, Playing God and Color of Night. This might be a long night.
D.O.A.
Late one night at a police station, a ragged man, Dexter Cornell (played by Dennis Quaid) stumbles in and proceeds to tell the policeman on duty that a murder has been committed. When the desk cop proceeds to ask who, Dexter simply replies “I was.”. Hence starts a series of flashback events of how Dexter Cornell finds himself dying at the hands of an unknown assailant. In fact, it was just thirty six hours ago when the man was simply teaching writing at a local college.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 1st, 2012
"This ain't a revival, it's an orphanage."
It's the 1970's and a speeding car screams down the dirt road of an orphanage. A duffel bag is tossed on the doorstep, and Moe, Larry and Curly have arrived. Ten years later we see the beginnings of the familiar routines in the teenage versions of The Three Stooges. They are unadoptable and are causing the nuns who run the joint a ton of headaches. Moe gets a chance to be adopted but loses it when he asks that the other two be taken as well. It turns out to be the perfect opportunity for Teddy.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 1st, 2012
“Corporations… They have all the money. They have all the power, and they use it to make people like you go away. Right now you’re suffering under an enormous weight. We provide the Leverage.”
The series centers on Nathan Ford (Hutton), an ex-insurance investigator. His life was turned around when the very insurance company he recovered millions for turned down his child for treatment to keep her alive. He quits his lucrative job and forms a team to help people who are backed against the wall by large corporations. Cases include: a soldier looking to get medical care, a family ripped off by a mob boss, a company that has allowed dangerous chemicals to harm children, and a real estate mogul trying to take a church away from its congregation.
