Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 11th, 2013
Mystery Science Theatre 3000 is an acquired taste. For me, I’ve really got to be in that certain mood to watch it. The idea is pretty whacked. Depending on the season you’ve got, Joel or Mike is trapped in space on the “Satellite of Love”. Doomed to spend his life watching very bad films, our hero makes the best of a bad situation. He uses his resources to construct a couple of robot pals. Together they watch the films from the front row, constantly riffing on them. If you’re like me, you’ve invited a few friends over to watch a schlock festival.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 10th, 2013
"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."
Every Star Trek fan has had that phrase beaten into their brain about as many times as Uncle Ben's mantra about great power and great responsibility. Who knew that the tagline was appropriate to filmmaking? When J.J. Abrams signed on to direct the reboot/remake/reimagining/rehash (insert your own word here) of Star Trek he quickly made it known that he was not really that into the franchise.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on September 10th, 2013
Supergroups are hot right now: witness the astonishing box office dominance of The Avengers, as well as Warner Bros./D.C. Comics’ frantic attempts to replicate Marvel’s success. But the idea of a supergroup — a collective whose members have previously achieved individual success — has been around for a very long time, and is most commonly found in the world of music. The members of PSMS (Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan, Tony MacAlpine and Derek Sherinian) certainly fit the supergroup bill. Late last year, they united to rock the faces off their fans in Europe and Asia.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on September 9th, 2013
High concepts don’t come much loftier than the one behind Starbuck. An underachieving slacker learns he has fathered 533 children thanks to frequent deposits at a sperm bank 20 years earlier. In fact, the premise was so nice, writer/director Ken Scott decided to do it twice. Vince Vaughn will star in an American remake later this year called Delivery Man. Whether you’re excited for the new film or you think it looks stupid, I highly recommend you give the funny and touching French-Canadian original a look.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on September 6th, 2013
“It’s not a good thing to find oneself living by an outmoded code of conduct. People take you to be a fool.”
Christopher Tietjens, the furiously principled Englishman at the center of this early 20th century drama, is simultaneously a man ahead of his time and part of a dying breed of gentleman. The most frustrating part of Christopher’s predicament is that he also has enough intelligence and self-awareness to realize exactly how out of place his behavior is.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 5th, 2013
"I believe man will fly. And I base this assumption on the fact that God has blessed us with minds that are capable of imagining it. Anything that can be dreamt of will eventually be built. Anyone who says otherwise is a fool."
The term “Renaissance man” is often used to describe a person who has a very wide range of interests in which they have become quite skilled. It's taken from the traits of the many artists, innovators and writers of the 15th century. And while the term might well apply to any number of such historical figures, there is none for whom it is more apt than Leonardo Da. Vinci.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on September 5th, 2013
“You’d be surprised what powerful people can get away with behind closed doors.”
Viewers experiencing cop/lawyer/doctor show fatigue might be happy to learn the hottest job on TV these days appears to be “fixer.” Of course, the sneaky appeal of shows centered on these professional problem solvers is that they actually combine elements of cop and lawyer dramas; the fun twist is that the fixer’s job often requires them to prevent crimes from being solved. Before Ray Donovan became a hit for Showtime this summer, the second season of Scandal transformed the nighttime soap into ABC’s buzziest drama.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 4th, 2013
"Something happens at around 92 miles an hour -- thunder-headers drown out all sound, engine vibrations travels at a heart's rate, field of vision funnels into the immediate, and suddenly you're not on the road, you're in it. A part of it. Traffic, scenery, cops - just cardboard cutouts blowing over as you past. Sometimes I forget the rush of that. That's why I love these long runs. All your problems, all the noise, gone. Nothing else to worry about except what's right in front of you. Maybe that's the lesson for me today, to hold on to these simple moments."
There's nothing simple about Sons Of Anarchy. But there are some moments that will cause you to hold on... for dear life.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 4th, 2013
"When the world goes to Hell How will you survive?"
The first thing you should know about The Walking Dead is that it's unlike any television series you have ever seen before. The images here are intense, and the crew has been given a blank check to create this vision without the burden of censors looking over their shoulders. There are plenty of blood-and-gore effects that rival any of the Hollywood zombie films you've seen in the last few years. The makeup effects are handled by the very capable hands of KNB and supervised personally by Greg Nicotero (the N from KNB).
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by BABY on August 30th, 2013
"You don't have to have super powers to be a superhero."
I know that's right. Hi. I'm Baby, and I'm the German Shepherd / Chow mix that runs security here at Upcomingdiscs. We call it Baby On Board Security, and if you want to know what my superpower is, just try and deliver one of your Fed Ex or UPS packages when I'm on duty, which is all the time. And that spells F A N G S.
