Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on August 12th, 2020
I remember when The Golden Compass came to theaters. I know I saw it because I was a projectionist and had to screen the print, but for the life of me I couldn’t remember anything about the film. Perhaps that’s why that when I first heard about HBO doing a TV series adaption of the beloved book series His Dark Materials that I wasn’t all that thrilled. I’d never read the young adult series, and considering the amount of awful YA film and TV adaptations that have bombarded us for nearly two decades, it too played a role in squashing any excitement I may have had in different circumstances. To be fair, when presented the offer to review the series, the odds were stacked against it, though I do attempt to always give a show or film an unbiased chance when I sit down with it. I feel it’s important I say all this because I want to express just how blindsided I was by this show and its story. Although its target audience with its books may be young adult, by the time the credits of the last episode rolled for its first season I found myself not just engaged with the story, but I had quickly grown attached to these characters and their story in a way I haven’t experienced since perhaps the first season of Stranger Things.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on July 28th, 2020
James Cameron is easily one of the most recognizable names in the Hollywood industry. Every time he makes a movie, it manages to break box office records. As many of us have been waiting patiently for his sequel to Avatar, it seems he was busy working on a small project that takes an intimate look into science fiction. This isn’t a boring history lesson, though; instead he’s gathered some of the biggest actors and directors of the genre and has a discussion about the various ideas that science fiction presents its viewers and readers. Whether you’re a science fiction novice or a self-proclaimed expert in the field, there’s at least something for everyone in this six-part, four-hour-plus series. The series is broken up into six episodes. Each episode covers a specific theme in the science fiction genre, so it allows you to watch it in any order you’d like. For me, I have to be honest; it’s hard to be impartial and not let my inner geek get excited over this series. When you have James Cameron and Steven Spielberg discussing how Close Encounters of the Third Kind came to be or see Cameron and Christopher Nolan discuss time travel, this is some engaging material. The closest thing I’ve seen recently where we get to see talented filmmakers sit down and talk is The Director’s Chair that Robert Rodriguez hosts, but what makes Story of Science Fiction stand out is seeing these filmmakers express their appreciation of the genre and what inspired them.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 29th, 2020
"Everyone in this country is getting dumber, and I wish marijuana was illegal again!"
If anything can push the weed cause back 20 years, it's Tegridy Farms. South Park starts its 23rd season with a bit of a new twist on things. For the entire first half of the season, the opening credits change to make it look like a Tegridy Farms show. It's cute and funny for like the first three minutes. I was sick of the concept already last season. So for the first half of Season 23, you're going down to Tegridy farms. In fact it's only the 10th season where the credits and show come close to returning to normal. After Tegridy Farms, there's PC Babies, which actually made me pine for Tegridy Farms for a few minutes. The season sees a few highs, and I don't mean in Randy March's pot farm. Mostly the boys appeared to coast this season, and with a new 3-year deal in place to keep South Park airing into its 26th season, I hope the coast was merely a break so that everyone could catch their wind just a little bit.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 28th, 2020
"Nothing wrong with a good diversion."
As I write this review for the latest entry in the DC Animated Universe, the nation is going through a tough time. When terms like social distancing are becoming the norm, it's nice to know that there's stuff out there to help keep us from going stir crazy as we become more and more restricted to our homes. Box office films have been delayed, and some of the current films are being brought out sooner on home entertainment platforms to try to ease the isolation a little. While never slated for a theatrical release, one of the better titles to come out during this time is Warner Brothers' Superman: Red Son. It's a story that was told about 10 years ago in an animated film, but this one takes advantage of new technology and a multi-film story that has driven the last few years of animated feature releases. This isn't merely a retread, but something far closer to the original comics story and provides a rather thoughtful as well as entertaining diversion just when we might need it the most.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on March 11th, 2020
Warner Brothers has done an impressive job when it comes to their live action DC Universe television shows. Everything including Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow have been fun entertaining experiences. Now with them starting up their own streaming service, they have upped the ante by releasing Titans. When I first heard about this one, I wasn’t sure what to think considering I wasn’t much of a fan of the animated series, but I’m so glad I came into this show with an open mind, because this show is jam-packed with coolness. Since this was made for a streaming service and not broadcast television, not only do we get superheroes dropping F-bombs, but we get some edgier storytelling along with some violent action you may not expect. Seriously, this one is not for the kids. Season 2 picks up right where Season 1 left us hanging as we see the Titans coming together to save Rachel (Teagan Croft) from her father, Trigon, as he’s about to destroy the world. You know; typical bad guy behavior.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 3rd, 2020
I remember over my years watching History's Duck Dynasty that the lead characters had very characteristic beards. One of the multi-season collections even came with a beard you could put on or display. A lot of folks thought it was a clever element that set these "good ol' boys" apart from the other eccentric characters the network parades in their "reality" shows, but if you're a fan of American music, you would know those beards anywhere. They originally belonged to ZZ Top iconic guitarist Billy Gibbons and equally iconic bass player Dusty Hill, who along with the ironically beardless drummer Frank Beard form the trio ZZ Top. After 50 years they remain the longest running rock band in history to still feature the complete original lineup. Of course, that's not quite as hard to do with only three members, but it's a milestone that even few marriages celebrate, and that's only two people. Like them, love them, or not, ZZ Top have become one of the most quintessential American bands in history. It's easily recognized with just a few opening chords, and it's about time someone sat down with these boys to find out what makes them tick and just how three poor cowboys from Texas changed the American music scene forever.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on February 19th, 2020
It only took Warner Brothers five days to pull the plug on this series after it debuted the first episode on their streaming service. This was crushing news for fans who had been looking forward to the series that had seemed to be a promising adaptation of the comic material and bringing it to life. I was one of those fans. I’m a fan of Swamp Thing, even the cheesy Wes Craven film from back in the early 80’s to the short lived series in the early 90’s. It’s a character that has struggled to find life and longevity over the years, mostly because the finances and the technology were never really there to make it as good as it could be, but when James Wan came along with his lofty idea to bring this series to life and keep it true to the comics and keep it geared to adults, well, I had hope. Already the Warner Brothers/ DC Universe streaming service has delivered with their iterations of Titans and Doom Patrol, and if Swamp Thing was to follow in their footsteps, then this was going to be a show to get excited about. Now that I’ve seen Season 1 and all the plot threads that had been set up to extend the series for future seasons, all I can think is that the cancellation of this series is an undeserved gut punch to fans of the comic and those that will watch this first season, because it builds something that could have been so great but will not be brought to fruition.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on February 18th, 2020
Getting thrown into the middle of a film or television series is a daunting task, especially when you can't just reach out and grab the source material. For example, today's review are three films that are set after a manga book collection as well as a 13-episode television series that is available on Blu-ray, but by another production house and would cost me thirty bucks. Hardly an ideal situation, but one I wasn't going to back down from. Donten: Laughing Under the Clouds - Gaiden is our review today and tries to tell us in nearly three hours what happens after the Yamainu take down the Orochi and the struggle to lead normal lives in the wake of such a cataclysmic event.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on February 6th, 2020
One of my main pet peeves in my life are the people who seem to hang on a celebrity's every word, or worse, a reluctant celebrity who gets pushed into the limelight because of a heroic deed or misdeed. I have little desire to be famous (except to be published and recognized as a writer), but if I were, I am pretty sure I would labelled as a recluse and shun the public eye constantly. Today, we explore Summer Days with Coo, a tale about a Kappa who is found by a boy after centuries of being fossilized. Then suddenly he gets thrust into the limelight with some unfavorable results. Let us see what this one has to offer.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on January 8th, 2020
When it comes to B action films, there is a threshold for what your expectations should be for the film. In the grindhouse era there were some pretty good quality action films, but as the sub-genre stretched into the 80’s and 90’s, the quality just got worse, though they’d always find some star whose celebrity was on the verge of fading. Dolph Lundgren has managed to hang in there and continue to get roles even though it’s been more than a couple decades since he last had the top billing for a Hollywood blockbuster. Personally I’ve always liked the guy; he can still be a charming badass or also play the heavy when need be for a film. Sure, he’s aged, but I can still believe he’d have no trouble kicking some onscreen ass. The one thing that the filmmakers of Acceleration got right was to cast Lundgren in their film where we get to see him play the good guy as well as the bad guy. As for the rest of the film, well, they had a good idea and a nice lineup of B-movie action stars as well as former UFC fighters, but the result falls well short of its potential.
