2.40:1 Widescreen (16:9)

Mars Needs Moms (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 19th, 2011

“Who knew mothering was so hard?”

If you thought that mothering was hard, you should see the work and creativity that goes into making a motion-capture computer animation feature. What started with The Polar Express led to a wonderful holiday special in the hands of Walt Disney with last year’s charming A Christmas Carol. Now Disney has taken the magic one step farther with the recent release of Mars Needs Moms.
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Be Cool (Blu-Ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on August 11th, 2011

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Get Shorty was one of the best films of the mid 90’s. I have seen it about five or six times and it is one of those rare movies that you see something new every time you watch it. It had amazing dialog, good action and this style to the whole movie was just uncanny. The movie was a film where one had to think but at the same time could enjoy themselves. So, when the sequel Be Cool dropped on blu-ray, would I be able to enjoy it as much as the original?
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Stake Land

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 3rd, 2011

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“As people flocked together for safety, the plague marched through their locked gates and they became death traps. When Washington fell it was over for America as we knew her. As government blew away, our great leaders ran for it, and hope was abandoned.”

It’s a grim and dark reality that Stake Land sets for us from the beginning.
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YellowBrickRoad

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 3rd, 2011

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“One morning in 1940, the entire population of Friah, NH walked north up an unmarked trail into the wilderness. Some were later found frozen to death. Others were mysteriously slaughtered. Most, however, were never found.”

It’s legends like these that usually mean we’re about to embark on another Blair Witch journey into the woods in search of some deep dark secret. It means it’s time to brace yourself
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Limitless (Unrated Extended Cut) (Blu-ray)

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

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“Obviously, I miscalculated a few things. Why is it that the moment your life exceeds your wildest dreams the knife appears at your back?”

You’ve heard the myth that we only use about 10% of our brains so often that most people actually believe it’s true. It’s one of those old wives’ tails that has been around long enough to become an axiom. We actually do use considerably more than 10% of our brains, or should I say, most of us do.
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Insidious (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 20th, 2011

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“A picture’s worth a thousand words.”

James Wan first came to national attention when a short film that he made set the stage for one of the most successful horror franchises in recent years. That short, of course, was Saw, and after no less than 6 sequels that franchise appears to be over, at least for now. Wan has teamed with the writer that also helped to bring about the original Saw film, Leigh Whannell, to try and turn the horror world on its head once again. But, lightning just doesn’t strike the same place twice, or does it?
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Fight Club (10th Anniversary Edition) (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by M. W. Phillips on July 16th, 2011

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“The first rule of Fight Club is: you do not talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club is: you DO NOT talk about Fight Club!”

Now, let me be the millionth critic to break those rules… Back in 1997, David Fincher received a call from his agent, Josh Donen, who’d just finished Chuck Palahniuk’s novel Fight Club and tried to talk Fincher into reading it. Even at a brisk 208 pages, Fincher passed on it, protesting being too busy to read books.
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Hobo with a Shotgun (Blu-ray)

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

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“Delivering justice one shell at a time.”

Sometimes you look at a movie title and you really can’t decide what kind of movie it might be. It could cause you to avoid a movie you might have really liked. Scent Of A Woman was like that for me. I avoided it for years because I thought it must be some hyper-romantic film. Of course, it was anything but. Hollywood has a habit of trying to get too clever sometimes, and it leaves us just wondering what the heck are we in store for here. Then there are films that tell you everything you need to know in the title.
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Warrior’s Way, The (Blu-Ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on July 14th, 2011

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Even though I have found my soulmate, I often consider myself to be a loner at heart. If I was born in another time, perhaps I would be roaming the earth searching for a purpose. In some ways, I could consider myself to be like the lead actor in Warrior’s Way. A warrior who is the best swordsman in the land but empty in his heart. That however would change when one day I found my purpose. Will it change in his?
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Happythankyoumoreplease (Blu-Ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 6th, 2011

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Happythankyoumoreplease is centered on a group of twenty something New Yorkers at various levels of transition: love, career, and growing up. The film is written, directed, and also stars Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother). Radnor’s directorial debut showcases a colorful side of New York and a variety of colorful characters. The group of young actors all put together solid performances which is essential for an ensemble cast. This is another festival friendly film with a solid group of actors that is definitely worth a look.
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Unknown (Blu-ray)

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

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Liam Neeson has always been somewhat of a versatile actor. From Oskar Schindler in Spielberg’s moving Schindler’s List to a Jedi master in the rebirth of Star Wars, there don’t appear to be very many types of films he hadn’t tried. Taken introduced us to a tough-guy character that we hadn’t really seen before, even in the film reboot of The A-Team. There he played an intelligence officer trying to rescue his kidnapped daughter. It was a rather powerful performance, so I can’t say I was very surprised to see him play the one-man army role once again in Unknown. It’s another very fine performance by Neeson
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Hall Pass (Blu Ray + DVD combo)

Posted in Disc Reviews by William O'Donnell on July 6th, 2011

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A pair of serial “gawkers” are getting into awkward spots in their marriages until their wives offer them a 6-day “Hall Pass” that grants them freedom to act as single men for that time. As each couple go their separate ways, each do battle with the temptation to act on their freedom, versus learn some sort of lesson about the virtues of domestic monogamy.
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Dear John

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 5th, 2011

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Dear John centers around a soldier, John Tyree (Channing Tatum) who falls in love with a college student, Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried) while he is back home on leave. This film is adapted from the Nicholas Sparks novel of the same name and directed by the melodramatic romance aficionado Lasse Hallstrom. If you are looking for a romance tale that offers very little surprises, look no further.
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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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Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 30th, 2011

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“Angry souls will do just about anything to escape their tortured purgatories. That’s why they say no rest for the wicked.”

And there’s no rest for Bloody Mary. That’s a good thing for us. We get treated to a rather sweet little bloody film from the folks at Lionsgate called Blood Night. It’s a better film than you might think on first look. It never betrays its independent spirit, but that doesn’t mean it has to sacrifice a good look and entertaining romp.
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Passion Play (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 8th, 2011

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One of the best signs that a film is a disaster is when the movie’s own star can’t seem to stop telling the world just how terrible it really is. Mickey Rourke at first had nice things to say about the film and particularly Megan Fox, calling her the best young actress he knew. Later he backtracked and qualified the statement about Fox. But his rantings about the film Passion Play have not been softened at all. He calls the film “Terrible” and a “Train wreck” while trying to assure us that he still loves director Mitch Glazer. We’d ask Mickey himself to write the review for the film here at Upcomingdiscs, but we tend to try and remain family friendly,
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The Mechanic (Blu-ray)

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

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“What I do requires a certain mindset. I do assignments, designated targets. Some jobs need to look like accidents. Others must cast suspicion on someone else. A select few need to send a clear message. Pulling a trigger is easy. The best jobs are the ones nobody even knows you were there.”

Arthur Bishop (Stratham) is an accomplished mechanic. But you don’t want to bring your Toyota to him, unless you intend to use the car to get rid of a pesky spouse.
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The Big Bang (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Bob Ross on May 31st, 2011

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Imagine that ‘40s tough-guy detective Philip Marlowe tangled with a billionaire mad scientist, along with the usual quota of thugs, strippers and sarcastic cops. Now suppose that writer Erik Jendresen and director Tony Krantz decided – perhaps over a meal of magic mushrooms and moonshine – to hire a fancy-pants cinematographer, rewrite author Raymond Chandler, and offer up what they obviously hoped would make them film-noir Fellinis for the new century.
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The Incredibles (Four-Disc Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 21st, 2011

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I’ve long held the belief that the folks at Pixar are really just children who have refused to grow up. That doesn’t mean that they don’t have to deal with the realities that adulthood thrust upon each of us. I’m sure they have families and are responsible citizens and parents. They consistently make movies, that while there is certainly appeal for children, are obviously intended for adults, adults like them, who have decided to never grow up. If you ever required proof of that concept, The Incredibles should prove the point quite nicely.
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Black Swan (Blu-ray)

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

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“We all know the story. Virginal girl, pure and sweet, trapped in the body of a swan. She desires freedom, but only true love can break the spell. Her wish is nearly granted in the form of a prince, but before he can declare his love, her lustful twin, the Black Swan, tricks and seduces him. Devastated, the White Swan leaps off a cliff, killing herself, and in death finds freedom.”

Darren Aronofsky made a huge name for himself with The Wrestler.
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King of Kings (Blu-ray)

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

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“And it came to pass in these days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. And all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city. So it was that Joseph, a carpenter, went up from Galilee unto Bethlehem to be taxed with his wife, Mary who was with Holy Child.”

Every spring around the time of Easter you could count on several annual films to make their way to televisions across the country for special family presentations. For Easter you had The Greatest Story Ever Told and King Of Kings.
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Fair Game (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Bob Ross on March 30th, 2011

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A newspaper article infuriates the White House, which retaliates with all its political might to discredit the story, crush its author and cover up its own internal corruption. Sound familiar, like maybe All the President’s Men? If that’s among your favorite docudramas, then make room on the shelf for Fair Game, a real-life paranoid trip that unfolds across continents but finds its emotional center in a quiet suburban home.
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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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Hereafter (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 24th, 2011

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The home video release of Hereafter, like its Asian box office release, is the victim of bad timing. The movie has been pulled from theaters in Japan since the tragic events that have struck that country in recent weeks. It’s unfortunate that the movie opens with one of the most realistic depictions of a tsunami that I’ve ever seen. The ultra-realism will be an emotional pang for anyone who shares the sadness of the current disaster. The film has suddenly been criticized for its graphic portrayal, but that kind of statement bears the mark of the worse kind of insincerity
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Piranha (2010)

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on February 24th, 2011

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Underwater tremors open up a cave that has been sealed off from the rest of Lake Victoria for millions of years, unleashing a ravenous school of giant piranha. Making short work of a cameoing Richard Dreyfuss (in his Matt Hooper clothes), the fish descend on a resort town in the middle of Spring Break celebrations and so, naturally, the financially-minded authorities Won’t Close The Beaches.
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