Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on August 19th, 2014
It’s kind of astounding that it took this long for somebody to revisit Rosemary’s Baby. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not suggesting Roman Polanski’s indelible 1968 adaptation of Ira Levin’s 1967 novel was crying out for a remake. It’s just that at this point you’d be hard pressed to find any horror classic — or any horror film, period — that hasn’t been re-done. (Stay strong, Exorcist!) And you probably wouldn’t expect said horror classic to be re-imagined as a bloody network TV miniseries.
I say "bloody" because NBC's two-part/four-hour modernization of Rosemary's Baby is actually more graphic than Polanski's theatrical chiller. (Then again, I still can't believe the network gets away with showing half the inspired, disturbingly brilliant stuff they do on Hannibal, so maybe this shouldn't come as a big surprise.) Unfortunately, this stylish new version lacks subtlety and — more importantly — a fundamental understanding of what makes the story scary in the first place.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 14th, 2014
The television landscape has been flooded with shows about the supernatural. Vampires have been particularly hot topics in recent years, but werewolves are starting to get their own sub-genre going. MTV's Teen Wolf manages to pull the theme off quite well. It's no surprise that pretty much every network out there wants to throw their own hats into the supernatural ring. It's getting quite crowded, but the popularity appears to have no end. Of course, with such a crowded field you have to find a way to stand out from the rest. That's what I was hoping to find when I started to dig into the Blu-ray release of Bitten. Unfortunately, the results aren't as impressive as I had hoped.
Bitten tells the story of Elena, played by Smallville's standout actress Laura Vandervoort. Elena is a werewolf who has left her pack behind to try to live a normal life in Toronto. She gets a job as a photojournalist and even manages to find time for a more artistic approach to her photography. She has just moved in with boyfriend Philip (Greene) who is unaware of her supernatural alter-ego. Just as she's trying to build that relationship, she gets a call from her pack alpha Jeremy, played by Greg Bryk. That call is going to throw a bit of a monkey wrench into that normal life she was hoping for.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 11th, 2014
"Hi, little guys."
There was a time, decades ago when Walt Disney Studios was doing quality documentaries on a pretty regular schedule. Many of them appeared on the television show The Wonderful World Of Disney, and more than a few were released as feature films. And while that tradition has continued somewhat, it's been a while since I was truly impressed by a Disney documentary. That all changes with the release of Bears.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on August 11th, 2014
The Muppets debuted in 1955, and the late great Jim Henson’s creations have been delighting audiences (and fellow entertainers) of all ages ever since. They’ve made their mark on the small screen — most notably with The Muppet Show (1976-81) — and at the movies, starring in eight feature films across four different decades. However, 2011’s The Muppets was their first big-screen outing in a dozen years, and the movie spent most of its time wondering if the Muppets’ old-fashioned, irreverent charm still had a place in a more jaded pop culture landscape.
The answer was a warm, if not quite resounding, yes. With that out of the way, Muppets Most Wanted is a return to the sort of zany showbiz farce that made them movie stars.
“Doggone it…it looks like they’ve ordered a sequel!”
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on July 29th, 2014
“Don't you ever get tired of vanilla?”
There's a special breed of '80s movie that appears hopelessly dated on the surface yet remains impulsively watchable. (Insert your own, “So you mean *every* '80s movie?!” joke.) The Legend of Billie Jean — with its hilarious-in-hindsight fashion and Pat Benatar theme song — certainly fits the “trapped in the '80s” bill. However, the 1985 film — now making its Blu-ray debut courtesy of Mill Creek Entertainment — still manages to entertain by tapping into the timeless spirit of teenage rebellion.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on July 28th, 2014
Robin Williams is one of those actors that I just wonder what happened to them. Through the 80’s and 90’s Williams was simply box office gold with his comedic timing and great impressions, but I’ve always been more drawn to the more serious roles Williams delivered. Awakenings, The Fisher King, Dead Poets Society, One Hour Photo, these are just a few of his roles that have stuck with me over the years that made it easy to look past his cinematic missteps.
When a movie like The Angriest Man in Brooklyn comes along, as a longtime fan I can’t help but get a little excited and hope for that spark Williams once brought to each of his characters. Factor in you have writer/ director Phil Alden Robinson who wrote and also directed Field of Dreams, it would seem this film should have “instant success” written all over it.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on July 24th, 2014
One of the miracles of modern technology is its ability to shrink the world down so you can practically (well, proverbially) hold it in the palm of your hand. The cheerily square Smithsonian Channel series Aerial America goes the other way. In fact, the best thing about the show is how it uses technology to fill every inch of your screen with some of the most famous — along with some of the more underappreciated — U.S. landmarks, employing a larger-than-life/bird’s-eye point of view most of us wouldn’t otherwise be able to enjoy.
A quick primer if you’ve never seen the show (as I hadn’t prior to popping in this Blu-ray): the series debuted in 2010, and each hour-long episode is devoted to a different U.S. state or region. Every one of those episodes is solely comprised of stunning, leisurely aerial shots of that respective state’s natural and man-made landmarks, along with a brisk history lesson courtesy of narrator Jim Conrad.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 9th, 2014
Few musicians have enjoyed the career that Elton John has enjoyed. From the release of Your Song in 1969, he hasn't seen many years without hit records. He's had number one songs in every decade since that day, and the hits continue to roll in. When the music industry changed, Elton managed to change enough to keep up with the times, yet hold on to the poignant songwriting that has made his songs stand out. I've been a fan since the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road days of 1973. When I was a kid and listening to candy pop, that's what Elton was delivering. As I got older, it appeared Elton's music aged with me. It was the time of classic melodies and thoughtful ballads. As I grow older, I find Elton is still keeping up.
Elton always found ways to reinvent himself. He was introduced to a whole new generation of children with his award-winning songs on The Lion King. He's brought his music to the stage on Broadway and dabbled in the film industry. With a catalog that brings in over $6 million a year without lifting a finger, Elton remains one of the hardest working entertainers in the industry. Now in his 60's, Elton's taken the stage in Vegas. Unlike many of the performers before him who semi-retired in Sin City, Elton continues to deliver the same energy and passion he has for decades brought on the road. I've been to somewhere between 30 and 40 performances, and I've never been disappointed in the performance. His last show at USF had an uncharacteristically bad sound mix, but I know the songs well enough to keep up.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on June 24th, 2014
It’s hard to believe it was way back in 2001 when Joy Ride was first released. You can lump me in with the crowd that didn’t expect there to be a sequel, much less a third entry into this series. The second Joy Ride I seemed to have missed altogether, so when I was given Joy Ride 3, I have to admit I was a little hesitant about checking this film out. Now that I have checked out the Blu-ray and all its extras, all I can think is that I had a good time with this film.
The film starts out strong, bringing us into a seedy motel room where a couple of meth addicts are up to no good. When the two are tapped out of meth, they decide to use their CB radio to lure in an unsuspecting driver. It’s no surprise that the trucker they end up getting is Rusty Nail, and he seems to be more than happy to oblige these two addicts. How the rest of the opening sequence plays out is better seen than ruined in a review, but I will say this is one of my favorite openings for a horror film in some time. It’s fun, it’s brutal, and it’s bloody. It’s the perfect way to kick off this kind of film.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on June 24th, 2014
It’s that time of the year again to dust off the old hunting rifle and shake out the camouflage suits, because Duck Commander is back in action. Duck Dynasty comes to Blu-ray on its fifth season, and though I was a little underwhelmed with the previous season, this new release brings the show back to the backwoods charm that gained my appreciation from the start. Yes, I still have a hard time calling this a reality series, since just about every episode and sequence seems more scripted than most hour-long dramas, but the characters are so likeable and goofy that a lot can be forgiven.
The show gets off to a slow start with “Boomerang Becca” and “Willies Number Two”. The first is about Willie and Korie’s adopted daughter Rebecca, who has come home after completing a fashion internship in Los Angeles. Willie is just nervous her visit is going to evolve into her simply moving back home, and he doesn’t seem too OK with that. As for the second episode, Willie decides he needs an assistant, and Korie asks Willie to give her cousin John David a chance. Willie seems to warm up to having a guy very similar to himself working beneath him, but the Duck Commander crew doesn’t seem to appreciate the new guy giving them orders. These episodes just simply felt as though they were trying to introduce new characters into the show, but neither character worked, and I can’t say they were missed when they never returned for the rest of the season.
