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Taken 2 (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 25th, 2013

We’ve seen action films like Taken enough times that we’ve become a little immune to the formula. But then again, Liam Neeson wasn’t your typical action figure, and so the movie was able to take audiences by surprise. It’s not that Neeson hadn’t already established himself as a fine actor. He just didn’t fit the mold we are so used to seeing. Things have changed in the couple of years since Taken had its box office run. Neeson has now done more action films, and he’s started to look more the part.
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Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 20th, 2012

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“I’m a consulting detective of some repute. Perhaps you’ve heard of me? My name is Sherlock Holmes.”

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.
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Captain America: The First Avenger (Blu-ray)(3D)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 28th, 2011

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In the world of Marvel comics Captain America was indeed the first Avenger, and as the full title implies we’re going quite a way into the past to create this hero. But the first shall be last, and it’s certainly true on this long road to the May 2012 release of The Avengers on film. You see, this is the final piece to the puzzle for that great assembly of heroes. We’ve had two chances to witness both The Hulk and Iron Man and a recent film introduction to Thor. Other characters like Black Widow and Hawk Eye came as guests on the other films. But the introductions are now complete.
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The Lion King (Two-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 12th, 2011

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“From the day we arrive on the planet and blinking, step into the sun, there’s more to see than can ever be seen. More to do than can ever be done. There’s far too much to take in here. More to find than can ever be found…”

There’s a period in the 1990’s that has often been referred to as the second golden age of Disney animation. The studio had fallen from its once mighty perch, and most film historians tend to agree there was a creative dark ages through the 1980’s. But the renaissance of the studio began with Aladdin in 1992
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Dumbo (Two-Disc 70th Anniversary Edition) (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 26th, 2011

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“Through the snow, and sleet, and hail / Through the blizzard, through the gale / Through the wind and through the rain / Over mountain, over plain / Through the blinding lightning flash / And the mighty thunder crash / Ever faithful, ever true / Nothing stops him, he’ll get through.”

When Walt Disney’s big gamble with Snow White paid off an entire studio was created and financed. The man and his merry little band were on top of the world. But then Walt decided to try and sophisticate his audience somewhat, and the result was box office disaster.
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Bridesmaids (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by M. W. Phillips on September 20th, 2011

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“You’re like the maid of dishonor.”

Bridesmaids, from director Paul Feig, producer Judd Apatow and based on a script by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, became the highest grossing R-rated female comedy of all time, edging out Sex and the City. Although coined by many as the female version of The Hangover, and there are certainly similarities, this does the movie a certain injustice. Where The Hangover is funny in a mean-spirited, rude-boy way, Bridesmaids taps into Apatow’s gift for producing comedies with human characters
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X-Men: First Class (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 16th, 2011

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Written by John Delia

If you are looking for action and adventure then you will not want to miss X-Men: First Class, a top-notch production that thrills. The explosive storyline under the able direction of Matthew Vaughn contains all the explosiveness you would expect from a prequel to Marvel Comics’ famous X-Men.
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Thor (Three-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 15th, 2011

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“Once, mankind accepted a simple truth: that they were not alone in this universe. Some worlds man believed home to their Gods. Others they knew to fear.”

Marvel has rolled out some rather ambitious plans for the next two years. Of course, it has all been leading to the huge Avengers film coming summer of 2012. If you’ve been watching the scenes after the credits of both Iron Man films, you’ve already seen the groundwork has been laid. Now comes Thor, and we’re talking more than just groundwork here. This is the first in a series of films that lead directly to The Avengers.
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Arthur (2011) (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 1st, 2011

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Back in 1981 we all got a little lost between the moon and New York City as Dudley Moore played the spoiled and perpetually drunk title character in the surprise hit Arthur. He was in love with Liza Minnelli, but his rich family had plans for the socialite played by Jill Eikenberry. Arthur’s only real friend was the guy who was paid to be there for him, but nevertheless had a soft spot for him. That was butler Hobson, played by Sir John Gielgud. It was a quirky little romantic comedy that turned out to have legs.
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (Blu-Ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on July 17th, 2011

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One of my favorite books growing up was Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Clearly. It was a charming book that told the story of a child who would write letters to his favorite author. But somewhere in the middle of the book, it turns from letters to a journal of his life in the second grade. The book series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid focus on the experiences of Greg Heffley and told through the pages of a journal. Today, I get to review the second movie adaptation subtitled: Rodrick Rules.

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Big Momma’s: Like Father Like Son (Blu-Ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on June 30th, 2011

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I never had a big momma growing up. My mother and each of my grandmothers were never what I would call big. My mom and her mom barely cleared 5 feet tall and my grandma on my dad’s side while pretty tall was very wiry and thin. So I never had the huge momma experience and it was probably for the best. However, I am not foreign to the concept of Martin Lawrence playing a Big Momma as I saw the first movie. Two movies later, does it still have its magic?
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Tron: Legacy / Tron: The Original Classic (Five-Disc Combo)(Blu-ray)(Blu-ray 3D)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 6th, 2011

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If you are old enough to have seen the original Tron back in 1982, you know how much things have changed in the digital world since then. The block graphics of the film and subsequent game might have been state-of-the-art at the time, but it looks like something very primitive to the younger generation. Like all good science fiction, many of the incredible elements of the film have become quite commonplace. The idea that a person can be scanned by a laser and transported into a virtual world
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Tangled (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 5th, 2011

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“Once upon a time, a single drop of sunlight fell from the heavens. From this small drop of Sun grew a magical golden flower. It was said that this flower held the power to heal the sick and injured. From this flower sprang a glorious kingdom, ruled by the most generous king and queen, who were soon to have a baby…”

That baby has been the subject of many tales over the years. Walt Disney himself had begun work on an animated feature based on Rapunzel back in the 1940’s. Uncle Walt was fascinated with timeless fairy tales, and they became the studio’s specialty over the years
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The Tourist (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 29th, 2011

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All eyes are on Angelina Jolie; okay, so that’s not much of a surprise, is it? But, I’m talking about the opening scenes of Jolie’s partnership with Johnny Depp in the remake of the French spy thriller Anthony Zimmer, retitled for the American audience, The Tourist. Her character Elise is attracting a lot of attention from men hidden away in vans with surveillance equipment trained on her every move and from every angle. No, it’s not the paparazzi this time. Elise is being followed because the intelligence community believes she will lead them to their real target, an elusive master criminal named Alex.
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Jackass 3 (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Bob Ross on March 10th, 2011

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If you don’t already know and love the format, you will be inclined – and well advised – to stay far away from Jackass 3. For some oversensitive souls, the sight of adult males getting smacked, slugged, stomped, shocked, slimed, kicked, catapulted and covered with excrement is simply unappealing. I know, sissies, right? But if you relish the notion of seeing men take abuse that makes them moan, bleed and barf, then the third and final (please, Lord) pseudo-documentary in the series is a guaranteed gross-out of a maximum degree. Heck, if you’re lucky, you might even toss your cookies
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Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by BABY on February 12th, 2011

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You know you’re in a lot of trouble when a movie opens up with the wedding of two dogs. Hi, I’m Baby. I’m the German Shepherd who runs security here at Upcomingdiscs. If you work for either UPS or Fed Ex, no introductions are necessary, and that spells R U N. I want to know why it is that you humans think that dogs want to look and act like people. We don’t need no stinkin’ sweaters. We don’t want to walk on our hind legs. And we don’t want to get married.
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Red (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 2nd, 2011

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“This used to be a gentleman’s game.”

I must confess that I had not even heard of the comic book titles created by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner. I think that might have been one of the best things that could have happened to me as I sat down to watch the film Red. With a cast this strong, there was little doubt that they would provide a powerful stamp on these characters. No insult intended toward the graphic novels, but I can’t imagine these characters any other way now.
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Alice In Wonderland (Two-Disc 60th Anniversary) (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 2nd, 2011

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“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is because everything would be what it isn’t. And contrariwise what it is, it wouldn’t be. And what it wouldn’t be, it would be, you see?”

To be perfectly honest with you, I have never read either of the two Lewis Carroll books on which this film has been based. Under ordinary circumstances, that would put me at a decided disadvantage in both watching the film and certainly in providing an insightful review of the movie.
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Saw 3D: The Final Chapter (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 31st, 2011

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“Hello. I want to play a game.”

Like the Beatles used to sing, when Jigsaw says hello, most folks are about to say goodbye. Jigsaw might very well be dead, but his legacy is alive and thriving. If you don’t know who Jigsaw is by now, this might not be the best place to start. He’s the Rube Goldberg of horror movies.
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Secretariat (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 31st, 2011

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“He paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength and charges into the fray. He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing. He does not shy away from the sword. The quiver rattles against his side, along with the flashing spear and lance. In frenzied excitement, he eats up the ground. He cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.”

Disney has a grand tradition of putting out a certain kind of sports film. You know the type well.
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Machete (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 11th, 2011

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“Did you ever notice how you let a Mexican into your home just because he’s got gardening tools? I mean, no questions asked. You just let him right in. He could have, you know, a chainsaw or a machete.”

The last year has been a hot year for the illegal immigration debate, between the Arizona law and the various politicians to the vigilante groups that volunteer to arm up and patrol the borders. As the debate rages on and the violence increases, it was only a matter of time before someone exploited it all for your entertainment pleasure.
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Salt (Deluxe Unrated Edition) (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 23rd, 2010

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“I have come to tell you a story…”

Director Phillip Noyce is no stranger to the spy-and-espionage genre. His father was an intelligence officer with the Australian government, and he spent many years of his childhood listening to tales of derring-do. He often recounts in interviews how he would play spy as a young man. He would pick out some stranger he’d see while out and about.
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The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 9th, 2010

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“The war between sorcerers was fought in the shadows of history, and the fate of mankind rested with the just and powerful Merlin. He taught his secrets to three trusted apprentices, Balthazar, Veronica and Horvath. He should have trusted only two.”

It was one of the most memorable Walt Disney moments in the long history of animation. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice segment in Fantasia would become the most recognizable piece of the film.
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Avatar (Three-Disc Extended Collector’s Edition) (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 8th, 2010

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And the George Lucas Award for the filmmaker who has mined the most out of his movie this year….the envelope please. It’s James Cameron for releasing not one, not two, not three, but four different versions of Avatar in less than a year. But I’ll have to give him a pass, just this once. This 3-disc collection offers enough goodies that it will tempt you to trade in your still-new version for this complete collection. Better yet … put it at the top of your Christmas list. The film comes in three versions. One with 8 minutes added. Another with 16. What’s the point of having the new version if not to see the most extensive edit?
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Fantasia / Fantasia 2000 (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 2nd, 2010

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“How do you do? My name is Deems Taylor, and it’s my very pleasant duty to welcome you here on behalf of Walt Disney, Leopold Stokowski, and all the other artists and musicians whose combined talents went into the creation of this new form of entertainment, Fantasia. What you’re going to see are the designs and pictures and stories that music inspired in the minds and imaginations of a group of artists. In other words, these are not going to be the interpretations of trained musicians, which I think is all to the good.”

Just three years after Walt Disney introduced the world to the animated feature in 1937, Uncle Walt was already experimenting with the idea.
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