Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on October 1st, 2025
So, I don’t want to make this film out to be more than it was intended to be, a movie intended to capitalize on the nostalgia of Pitch Perfect fans by bringing together three of its stars (Rebel Wison and Anna Camp of the original trilogy, as well as Gigi Zumbado appeared in Pitch Perfect 2) in what amounted to a lackluster comedy. In addition, the film was to capitalize on residual popularity of Rebel Wilson, who won over so many with her quick wit and unique brand of humor. However, the film came off as more of a mash-up of already-seen Rebel Wilson movies, specifically Bridesmaids and The Hustle. And while I commend Rebel Wilson’s nunchuck skills as well as most of her own stunts in the film and her commitment to filming despite getting injured on the final day of filming, this wasn’t a movie that really did it for me. There wasn’t enough originality to keep my interest. The plot essentially felt like a rehash of another average wedding flick that shotgunned a hostage situation. Even with the addition of Justin Hartley and Stephen Dorff, this film felt like more like a direct-to-streaming movie than a theatrical release.
Wilson stars as Sam, a secret agent whose job begins to impede her maid of honor duties, much to the chagrin of her best friend, Betsy (Camp), who, as expected, is unaware of Sam’s job. When Sam’s latest assignment prompts her disappearance from the party, this leads Betsy to drunkenly name her fiancé's sister Virginia as maid of honor instead. Ostracized from the bridal party, Sam's attempt to comfort Betsy backfires, and she slips away after Betsy suggests they have grown apart as friends. Things come to a head at the wedding when a mercenary group crashes the party and takes the guests hostage. Sam must jeopardize her cover in order to take down the mercenaries and keep her friends safe.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on October 1st, 2025
This episode collection was all right with me, but in the eyes of my son, it could do no wrong, and as he is the one actually in the age demographic, this will be the one time where I defer to the opinion of a three-year-old. In this ten-episode collection, Marshall takes charge and leads the pups from everything from a blaze at a lemonade stand to saving a lost penguin. This disc marks the first time that my son has willingly sat through the watching of something from start to finish. It’s not all that surprising, as he was a fan of the series before this disc, but I still found it significant, because he does remain selective about which episodes he watches. Fortunately, Marshall is among his favorite of the crew, especially now that Rubble is off doing his own thing. Luckily, Rubble also featured in this episode collection, so my son got the best of both worlds.
For those not in the know, though I suspect that is very few, Paw Patrol is a Canadian animated series that focuses on a young boy named Ryder who leads a crew of search and rescue dogs that work together on missions to protect the shoreside community of Adventure Bay and surrounding areas. Each dog has a specific set of skills based on emergency services professions, such as a firefighter, a police officer, and an aviation pilot. They all reside in doghouses that transform into customized vehicles, or "pupmobiles", for their missions. They are also equipped with special hi-tech backpacks called "pup packs" that contain tools relating to the pups' jobs. The series has completed 11 seasons (which many of the episodes in this collection are from) and has spawned at least three feature films along with a spin-off series featuring the popular character Rubble.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 30th, 2025
In 1887, readers of the popular periodical Beeton's Christmas Annual were to receive quite a special treat. There wasn't much fanfare or hype to the event. Inside the pages of the magazine was a story called A Study In Scarlet. It was a detective story, perhaps like many published before, except for the detective himself, a certain Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Together with his faithful companion and chronicler Dr. Watson, Holmes would win the hearts of those holiday readers. It might have been an ordinary day, but the world was about to change. Sherlock Holmes would become the most famous detective in the world. His stories would remain in print nearly 130 years later. Over 100 films would be made featuring the character. There would be television shows and cartoon spoofs. No other character has appeared in more productions. When his creator dared to kill the beloved detective in order to move on to newer stories, his very life was threatened. It would seem that Doyle was on the verge of becoming a victim much like those in his stories. There was only one man who could save him from such a grim fate, and he did just that. It was Sherlock Holmes himself, but if Doyle had actually been harmed over the ordeal, he wouldn't turn to his iconic detective; he would need the services of Dr. Watson.
Holmes has been depicted in many ways on television, but we haven't seen a show that focused on his faithful companion and chronicler Dr. John Watson. So now we have a television medical show that channels the spirit of the great detective in medical mysteries. They say it hasn't been done before, but I must have just imagined the seven seasons of House I watched recently. The name might be Watson, but the idea is familiar.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 26th, 2025
"That is where you've always been wrong about me, Lex. I am as human as anyone. I love, I get scared. I wake up every morning, and despite not knowing what to do, I put one foot in front of the other, and I try to make the best choices that I can. I screw up all the time, but that is being human, and that's my greatest strength. And someday, I hope, for the sake of the world, you understand that it's yours too."
I'm much more of a Marvel guy than a DC guy, but there are great characters and stories in both cinematic universes. DC pretty much invented the entire idea of a superhero when two young guys in New York came up with a new idea back in the 1930's. When Superman was first introduced to us, it was in Action Comics #1 back in 1938 from the writer Jerry Siegel and the artist Joe Shuster. Since then the character has become a cultural phenomenon that’s been featured in just about every form of media from radio shows, TV shows, cartoons, movies and everything else in between. The character has evolved quite a bit since those early comic book days, and one of the character’s biggest evolutions came with the Max Fleischer cartoon series. But it wasn't until Richard Donner and Christopher Reeve convinced us that a man can fly in 1978 that Superman truly conquered the world of cinema. Since then DC had another huge win with the Tim Burton and Michael Keaton Batman films about 10 years later. With that kind of a head start, you would think that the DCU (DC Universe) would have left Marvel in the dust. I mean, for decades Marvel couldn't even make the stuff themselves, because they didn't have the studio connection like DC has had with Warner Bros. for decades. Yet the Marvel films have progressed through six phases of films and have dominated the film superhero world.
It didn't help that when Zack Snyder took over, he created this dark place where Superman was a brooding character. Superman was never that in the comics. He was the eternal optimist with a "golly gee" manner that made this almost-invulnerable super-being relatable to the little guys like us. DC has decided to erase the franchise and start over with James Gunn and Peter Chiappetta. Gunn is really the man in charge, and their brand new DCU starts with the 2025 film Superman. He has certainly changed directions, but the question for me remains: did you go too far? Judging by the box office take, I'd say he might have won the fans over. Now that Superman is out from Warner Bros., with this UHD Blu-ray 4K release you can decide that for yourself. Let me be your guide.
James Gunn absolutely got the first part right. Thankfully, a new universe and Superman franchise doesn't start with an origin story. We all know that Krypton blew up and the planet's leading scientist sent his infant son to Earth in hopes of his and the Krypton race's survival. We don't need to see it again. With the likes of Marlon Brando and Michael Shannon putting their imprints on Jor-El (Supe’s Pops), no one is going to do it better. I don't need to see Bruce Wayne's parents killed over and over again. I'm tired of watching Peter Parker get bitten by some messed-up spider, and James Gunn correctly assumes that we don't need to see that story yet again. That's a win in the Gunn column.
The film begins about three years since Superman/Clark Kent (Corenswet) has made himself known in Metropolis. He's already dating Lois Lane (Brosnahan), who already knows who he is. So Gunn saves us from another tired Superman film trope of him just barely staying one step ahead of his Pulitzer prize-winning partner. That's two for Gunn. In fact, after we see Superman after he got his behind kicked and saved by Krypto and his squad of robots, one of the best scenes in the film is this honest and candid exchange between Clark and Lois at her apartment. I'm not into the whole romantic screen stuff, but there is absolutely a dynamic here that sets the playing field and establishes the kind of chemistry these two characters just have to have. As much as I love Chris Reeve's version, I did not feel the chemistry between him and Margot Kidder That could be because the actress turned out to be bat-crap crazy. I'm not sure about that one. But here Gunn made good choices in his cast. I'll give him a half point here and explain later.
What is a superhero without a supervillain? Gunn did go for the obvious path here and, once again the bad guy is Lex Luthor (Hoult). They already hate each other, and Lex, again of course, has been plotting to defeat the Man of Steel. This time he intends to ruin his reputation. Luthor manipulates Superman into "invading" another country and using it as an excuse to unleash his havoc on Metropolis. There are stories of pocket universes and a series of henchmen characters, and we know Superman will win the day. The story is fine, if not a bit overcomplicated by the inclusion of too many central characters. Some of these, however, are quite good.
Great Caesar's ghost. If you're a fan of The Wire you know who Wendell Pierce is. Gunn cast Bunk as the Daily Planet's editor-in-chief (but don't call him chief). He's terribly underused here, but that's the problem when you have so many characters that you are trying to be faithful to. Gunn uses them all. Only the comic fans know who Steve Lombard (Bennett) is. He brought over Otis (Rosemore) and Miss Teschmacher (Sampaio) from the Donner films, and you have to have Superman's pal, Jimmy (Gisando). He also uses the film to introduce sometimes-bad-guy, sometimes-good-guy Metamorpho (Carrigan). He also plants the seeds of the eventual Justice League who go by the Justice Gang right now by giving us the first feature film versions of Green Lantern and all-around pain in the butt Guy Gardner (Fillion). He imagines himself the "guy" in charge, and Fillion is the perfect choice to play him, and I liked him even with the classic comics bowl haircut look. Maybe this is another half point, OK? We get Hawkgirl (Merced) and a really dynamic version of Mr. Terrific (Gathegi), but the problem is none of these characters have more than a few minutes to shine. There are a ton of other "Easter egg" characters and elements, but the film's own kryptonite is that it's too much all at once. There's even Krypto, and I'm taking away a point here, because Gunn decided to use the design of his own dog instead of his classic white shepherd look from the comics. I mean, come on, James. You pay attention to the details of Guy Gardner's haircut, but you turn Krypto into a yip-yip dog? Yeah. OK. A yip-yip dog with superpowers.
In tone the film reaches for camp more than dark and serious, which is fine with me. The Donner films were loaded with camp. I will admit it's a promising beginning, but if I could say one thing to the new DC boss: slow down your roll. You can't catch up to Marvel in a single movie. Give it time to evolve. If you load so many elements into each movie, it won't matter how well-cast they are, and these really are. The pace is almost manic because it has to be, and I suspect there's a 4-hour version of it out there somewhere. Cue The Gunn Cut.
Superman is presented in its original but odd aspect ratio of 1.90:1. The ultra-high-definition 2160p image is arrived at by an HEVC codec with an average bitrate of 75 mbps. This is a very colorful film, and that's quite appropriate for a comic book movie. The HDR/Dolby Vision allows for wonderfully vivid and bright reds and blues, which are crucial to the character. I'm particularly impressed by the white levels here, as much of the film takes place in the Arctic, although filmed all the way south in the Antarctic. It was a really good idea, because the snow and ice textures are pretty good here. That also means it's a little too easy to spot the moments where the environment is not at least completely real. Still the f/x blend quite nicely an issue Marvel has been fighting in recent releases. Contrast wins the day with solid delineation between bright and inky black elements. Sometimes the film is a little too glossy. I also loved the contrast of the warm colors of Lois's apartment against the frigid cold colors of the Arctic. It's close to a show-off piece for your setup.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 26th, 2025
"Yes, this is Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California. It's about five o'clock in the morning. That's the Homicide Squad - complete with detectives and newspapermen. A murder has been reported from one of those great big houses in the ten thousand block. You'll read about it in the late editions, I'm sure. You'll get it over your radio and see it on television, because an old-time star is involved - one of the biggest. But before you hear it all distorted and blown out of proportion, before those Hollywood columnists get their hands on it, maybe you'd like to hear the facts, the whole truth. If so, you've come to the right party. You see, the body of a young man was found floating in the pool of her mansion - with two shots in his back and one in his stomach. Nobody important, really. Just a movie writer with a couple of 'B' pictures to his credit. The poor dope! He always wanted a pool. Well, in the end, he got himself a pool - only the price turned out to be a little high. Let's go back about six months and find the day when it all started."
The term "classic" is misused these days. I know many fellow critics who fall in love with too many films and rate them high with the idea they are going to be "classics". More times than not, in five years, let alone 50 or 75 years, no one has even heard of or remembered the movie. The truth is that kind of high-end designation can't be made for at least 20 years. I don't give out very many 5-disc ratings. Far less than anyone else on the site, and with literally thousands of more reviews to count. Sunset Blvd. is one of those films. If you're still quoting a film 75 years later? That's the very definition of a true classic, and Billy Wilder's film passes anyone's grade for that distinction. I know that IMDB presents the film as Sunset Boulevard, as do some of the film's posters. On screen and in the copyright filings for the movie it is Sunset Blvd., and that's how I will refer to it here.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 24th, 2025
"The following is based on true events. The events depicted were transcribed by Father Joseph Steiger. The story represents the most thoroughly documented case of demonic possession in American history."
Of course, the exorcism that we're all talking about is the same event that The Exorcist was based upon. I don't know what possesses filmmakers to keep chasing that lightning in a bottle, but I doubt it will ever be done. And I think that is something I like about The Ritual, directed by David Midell and starring Al Pacino and Dan Stevens. It's not trying to be The Exorcist. Instead they are trying to do something more faithful to the original story, and I think that is one of several elements which led me to appreciate this film more than I have much of any horror out in the last handful of years. The devil's back in town, and Michael Corleone is going to make him an offer he can't refuse. I'm going to do the same to you out there. Check out The Ritual now out on Blu-ray... and I'm going to give you my reasons.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on September 24th, 2025
“I am large; I contain multitudes.”
If The Life of Chuck doesn’t take home an armful of awards this year, it will be a criminal shame. I first read the Stephen King novella when it was released in his collection If It Bleeds (2020), It was a story that you can tell King wrote during the COVID-19 panic. I remember liking the story, but it wasn’t one of my favorites in the collection. What stood out the most was the unique way he wrote the story about the end of the world. It didn’t really surprise me that the story was being adapted into a film considering just how many Stephen King stories are brought to the big screen and streaming every year. It was the fact that Mike Flanagan signed on to write and direct that got me excited about this project. For those who may not know, Mike Flanagan has been making a name for himself in the horror genre. The Haunting on Hill House, Midnight Mass, Hush, Doctor Sleep, The Fall of the House of Usher and Gerald’s Game are all hits in his filmography, and frankly, he just hasn’t disappointed me yet. But the surprising thing about The Life of Chuck is that it’s not a horror story, at least not in any traditional sense, so how would Flanagan fare with this project in which at first glance it appears he’s stepping out of his comfort zone?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 23rd, 2025
"Everybody deserves a second chance."
In some parts of the country there's a saying. If you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes. It'll change. That's exactly how I felt by the time my two hours watching M3GAN 2.0 was through. It was entertaining, to be sure, but I felt like I had been through about five movies before it was finally over. It's hard to imagine that is has been three years since we first met the robot/children's toy gone berserk, but it really has. It was my hope that everyone was just waiting until they had a great new idea before they trotted the killer doll out again. Most of the characters and actors who survived their first encounter with M3GAN returned for the sequel, with at least one of them being somewhat of a surprise appearance, and just like that first movie, you really have to be careful who you trust here, because killer dolls aren't the only things that are dangerous here. The humans can actually be a lot worse, and that just might be the point as M3GAN 2.0 gets a head start in the upcoming heated competition for the coming summer blockbuster season. We're just weeks away from a DC and Marvel one-two combination, but will M3GAN 2.0 survive the punches? Not likely, I'm afraid.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 22nd, 2025
"You're going to regret that."
Did you know that those windup monkeys that clash the cymbals are called jolly monkeys? I did not .. .that was until I came across a low-budget slasher film called The Jolly Monkey. It's the feature film debut of writer/director Ryan Ebert. The film was obviously put together fast to capitalize on Stephen King and Osgood Perkins' The Monkey, which hit theatres early this year. It doesn't really share anything other than having a monkey in the title. Put together fast, it was. They shot this film in six days with a budget somewhere just under a hundred grand. I found the film also takes a little bit from last year's Imaginary by Jeff Ladlow. You really have many of the same story beats but with much less money than either of the other two films. That's going to be a problem. Let me tell you about it.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 21st, 2025
"The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests. The son of man hath nowhere to lay his head." I couldn't remember if it was from Luke or John, but it looked like I'd just joined a very exclusive club. It was Matthew, and reading the rest of the chapter before I fell asleep helped me get over the feeling I had when I watched almost everything I own go up in smoke. I tried to drown the rest of my thoughts in beer; that never really works. And the alcohol in my blood didn't make an August night in Boston any cooler. Actually I was being urban-renewed out of my office. I had to move uptown. Of course, uptown for me is still downtown for most people. My new place was at 357 Mass Avenue over a cheap cigar store and a florist specializing in day-old flowers at an office that used to belong to Madam Martino, a psychic."
If that psychic had still been in business, I wonder if she could have predicted the life of television icon Robert Urich. He would pass away at a very young 55 years of age from an extremely rare form of cancer. But in that short time he would set the record for the most television shows by anyone as the leading actor/character.
