Posted in: Disc Reviews by William O'Donnell on June 18th, 2012
There are countless John Wayne Westerns in existence, but a hearty handful stand out above the rest. Hondo is a part of said handful. The story is a somewhat familiar one; that of a lone gunman seeking redemption by helping out a young woman fight off Indians...it just howls “John Wayne Western.” That being said, there are some standout performances and the portrayal of Native Americans is tad more progressive than what was within Westerns of the previous decade.
This film was created at the tail end of the first wave of 3D films, in the 1950s, and it only seems to be utilized during the opening credits and the climactic battle scene (mostly via arrows being shot almost towards the camera). 3D is a term that seems to imply a certain level of campiness, but Hondo avoids that pitfall by developing its characters and enriching the story with some (non-corny) twists and subplots that help move past the larger, cowboys vs. Indians story.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on June 18th, 2012
Did you know that Power Rangers Samurai is the nineteenth season of Power Rangers? But the difference here is that Saban Brands bought back the franchise and have promised a more fun and humorous Power Rangers, similar to older seasons when they last owned the product. So, today I have for you folks a look at the first two volumes of this new series. Let us see if the new team holds a candle to the heroes of old.
47,48,49,50. Ready or not, here we go. So begins another game of hide and seek. However, this school yard game is cut way short when the Nighloks (an evil alien force) ATTACK! All of the sudden, we see the Red Ranger, Jayden (played by Alex Heartman) with his Mentor Ji (played by Rene Naufahu) heading off the pack. Ji offers the Nighlok pack the option to retreat but the Red Ranger is in no mood to give retreat this day.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on June 18th, 2012
Did you know that Power Rangers Samurai is the nineteenth season of Power Rangers? But the difference here is that Saban Brands bought back the franchise and have promised a more fun and humorous Power Rangers, similar to older seasons when they last owned the product. So, today I have for you folks a look at the first two volumes of this new series. Let us see if the new team holds a candle to the heroes of old.
47,48,49,50. Ready or not, here we go. So begins another game of hide and seek. However, this school yard game is cut way short when the Nighloks (an evil alien force) ATTACK! All of the sudden, we see the Red Ranger, Jayden (played by Alex Heartman) with his Mentor Ji (played by Rene Naufahu) heading off the pack. Ji offers the Nighlok pack the option to retreat but the Red Ranger is in no mood to give retreat this day.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on June 14th, 2012
Cult movies are some of my favorite kinds of movies. I am a complete sucker for Rocky Horror Picture Show and films like the Warriors or Duel. These movies are often a product of their time but are not fully appreciated until many years later. Today, I am reviewing The FP, a film that attempts to be a cult classic but without going through the usual hoops of society. As we go to the film, one has to wonder if that is even remotely possible.
For Years, an underground war has raged for dominance over the small town of Frazier Park between two clans: the 248 from the North and the 245 from the South. Now…with a skirmish between the two clan leaders imminent, the battle for the FP has only just begun.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by M. W. Phillips on June 14th, 2012
“A deadly car accident took place at North Point last night; a bus lost control and left two dead and eight injured.”
Every day accident fatalities happen all over the world. These deaths are so obviously accidental that the authorities hardly think twice about them. In director Cheang Pou-Soi’s Accident a team of four assassins, Brain (Louis Koo), Fatty (Suet Lam), Uncle (Fung Shui-Fan) and Woman (Michelle Ye), each a master of the art of the invisible kill, stage their assassinations so perfectly as to appear to be simply “accidents” even under the closest scrutiny.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 13th, 2012
"In the 19th century Jules Verne wrote some of the greatest adventure stories ever told. Novels such as 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, Journey To The Center Of The Earth and The Mysterious Island. Most consider these works of science fiction. Vernians know otherwise."
In 2008 Brendan Frasier had himself a rather unexpected hit with Journey To The Center Of The Earth. That film posed the fantastic question: What if the works of Jules Verne were not based on fantasy at all, but rather actual events, people and places. Frasier's Trevor Anderson was part of a family whose tradition for generations was to safe keep these Verne secrets. The film was intended as a nice 3D romp and pulled in a respectable amount at the box office. We knew that meant more. The only question was: Would we continue with that story or strike out on an entirely new Jules Verne adventure? With an almost entirely new cast, the studio decided on taking the later road. Enter Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by M. W. Phillips on June 13th, 2012
“You're the good kind of addict. You're the I-got-messed-up-with-the-wrong-girl-and-ended-up-on-a-blow-bender addict. But Ertz is the Skeevy-old-man-who-got-caught with-a-crack-pipe-and-the-17-year-old-from-Speed-Racer addict.”
Where season seven of Entourage was all about the hard life and times of Vinnie Chase (Adrian Grenier) and company stumbling through the shallow traps of an impossibly expensive Hollywood lifestyle: i.e. growing addictions, porn star girlfriends, and desperate career moves, Entourage: The Complete Eighth Season is all about redemption through hard choices. It picks up as a newly clean and sober Vincent is released after a 90 day stint in rehab, and his cohorts scramble to provide a safe environment for him.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on June 13th, 2012
The wife and I have spent quite a few weekends within the last year going to antique shops and malls, flea markets and basically any place where we might go through a pile of stuff to find that one special item for our collection. The search has produced many interesting items and it brings us joy to see all of the items that simply do not show up in a retail store. Today, we are reviewing American Pickers volume 3, a show that lives on the art of finding that next treasure by going through America’s backyards.
For those who are not familiar with what exactly is American Pickers about, here is a short synopsis There are these two guys, Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz who roam the United States in search of knick knacks, car parts, collectibles, anything that will bring them money. A picker. Their method is somewhat unorthodox as they actually visit people’s homes, storage sheds, and any other place where somebody might store their collection.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on June 12th, 2012
-"And what do I say when they ask me why it wasn't regulated?"
-"No one wanted to. We were making too much money."
At first glance, sitting down to watch a film about the financial meltdown of 2008 seems only slightly more fun than going through the actual meltdown again. Fortunately, director Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential) and a towering ensemble cast — I felt like I'd died and gone to Character Actor Heaven — mostly keep Too Big to Fail away from CNBC territory and deliver a brisk, entertaining film.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 12th, 2012
"I'm Rick Harrison, and this is my pawn shop. I work here with my old man and my son, Big Hoss. Everything in here has a story ... and a price. One thing I've learned after 21 years? You never know what is going to come through that door."
Remember that PBS show where some old-stuff expert would come to your town and sift through a lot of junk that folks found in their basements or attics? Remember that he would give you a story about the items these people brought in? The idea was that once in a while someone discovered valuable treasure in those dusty rooms. Remember that show? This isn't that show. It does, however, have some things in common with the old PBS program.
