Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on August 25th, 2015
DC Comics buffs have been obsessively analyzing every frame of the latest Batman v. Superman trailer for clues that nod to a live-action appearance by their favorite hero. But for fans of Lego's “DC Comics Superheroes” brand — which includes various movies, TV shows and videogames — the idea of a superpowered team-up is old hat. In fact, Lego is so far ahead of the curve that its newest offering — Attack of the Legion of Doom! — explores what happens when the bad guys form their own all-star team.
“Villains...working together?!”
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on August 24th, 2015
Today, the term “blue collar comedy” is likely to conjure images of rednecks and Larry the Cable Guy. However, this new double feature from Shout! Factory reminds us that wasn't always the case. The heroes of Easy Money and Men at Work are, respectively, a sleazy children's photographer and a pair of rebellious garbage men, so the label certainly applies. Let's see how these two blue collar comedies hold up in their Blu-ray debuts.
Rodney Dangerfield stars as Monty Capuletti, a charismatic slob of a children's photographer who loves to drink, smoke, and gamble. This puts him at odds with his rich, domineering mother-in-law Mrs. Monahan (Geraldine Fitzgerald), who never approved of Monty marrying her daughter Rose (Candy Azzara). When Monty and Rose are notified that Mrs. Monahan has died in a plane crash, they get an extra shock. The old lady has left Rose her $10 million fortune on one condition: Monty has to whip himself into shape and abstain from all his bad habits for an entire year. With support (sort of) from his best friend Nicky (Joe Pesci), Monty begrudgingly embarks on a healthier lifestyle. But is all that money really worth giving up who Monty really is?
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. When the Checks Stop Coming In is easily the best out of the recent trio of Moguldom offerings I’ve gotten a chance to review. The film understands that going broke is not a problem unique to the African American community, but is insightful enough to show some of the factors that uniquely affect that segment of the population.
When the Checks Stop Coming In focuses on black celebrities while conceding that plenty of rich famous white people (Gary Busey, Tori Spelling, The Osbournes) squander their fortunes. We get some quick clips and a rundown of athletes (Dennis Rodman, Warren Sapp, Allen Iverson) and entertainers (50 Cent, Lionel Ritchie, MC Hammer) whose financial troubles have been well documented. The doc spends a little extra time on a few of those more famous names, including soundbites from singer Toni Braxton (apparently the various people who tended to her were better compensated) former NBA star Antoine Walker (he advises active athletes to wait until they’re retired or not as busy to invest money), and Mike Tyson (if he ever shares the same space with Don King again, I don’t imagine it would end well for Don King).
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. Knifed Up is one of two largely superficial plastic surgery docs released by the production company this week. The film’s subtitle is The Evolution of Cosmetic Surgery, so it operates from the premise that women have gone from wanting to look like Barbie to wanting to look like Nicki Minaj or a Kardashian.
Of course, what that really means is that physical features more closely associated with African American women — fuller hips, bigger busts/butts — have become more desirable in recent years. Knifed Up reveals that white people still account for 70 percent of plastic surgeries, but the number of black people opting to get cosmetic work is absolutely on the rise.
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 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: 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.”
