Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 21st, 2011
"Book 'em Danno."
It's been 30 years since we last heard that phrase. Still it persisted in the modern lexicon along with the term Five-0, which is still shouted in high-crime areas in cities all over the country whenever a police presence is felt closing in on the bad guys. Hawaii Five-0 ended in 1980. That's when Tom Selleck took over the sets and production crew on Hawaii to work as Magnum P.I. until 1988 when it all closed down for good, or did it?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 21st, 2011
For the second year in a row Private Practice has decided to tackle a huge and emotional issue for the characters at Oceanside Wellness Group. Last season began when Violet had been brutally attacked. A crazy woman believed Violet was carrying her baby, so she showed up and cut the baby out leaving her to die on the floor. Of course, she survived, but the season was all about the scars left from the attack in her mind. It was quite an intense storyline and one the show decided to try and top in season 4. Charlotte King, played by Kadee Strickland, suffers an equally brutal attack and is sexually assaulted
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on September 18th, 2011
Fight Fans welcome. We have for you today in the center of this ring, the story of four young men from different backgrounds but who have all come to fight in the Beatdown. The Beatdown is a place where passion can fuel the desire of the fighters to become the very best. But, there are many obstacles in their way in life and in the ring. What exactly will happen and how many broken bones will take place? Join me in the cage and we shall experience, Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on September 17th, 2011
One of my favorite “kiddie” type cartoons is Fairly Odd Parents. A giant size of wit (surprisingly adult in nature on occasion) and a ton of charm make the cartoon a boatload of fun to watch. It was created by Butch Hartman who has a long list of popular toon credits including Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken and Dexter's Laboratory. Eventually Hartman started to do more than storyboard or write cartoons. He created cartoons, including one such cartoon named Danny Phantom which is our subject today.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 16th, 2011
Grey's Anatomy had one heck of a year in its seventh season. The season begins with the aftermath of the shooting in the hospital that closed out the previous year. It's taken a toll, particularly on Dr. Webber who is catching a ton of heat for the incident. But it isn't that story arc that dominated the talk of the 2010-11 season over at ABC. It was the long anticipated and critically acclaimed musical episode that stole the spotlight this year.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 15th, 2011
"It is with profound praise and gratitude that I welcome you new police officers, proud that you have answered the call to service and today join the ranks of New York's finest."
Guess who else answered the call. Tom Selleck has traded in his bright fire-engine-red Ferrari and Hawaiian sun and surf for a desk job at the New York Police Department. And oh, what a desk job it is. CBS has scored a homerun with its freshmen drama series Blue Bloods. It might just have been the best new show of the 2010-11 season.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 15th, 2011
This has been a huge time for the classic series Hawaii Five-0. The show has enjoyed a rebirth with a brand new version of the show that ended up being one of the best rated new shows of the last television season. The DVD releases have continued to the point where we find ourselves seeing the second to last season now out on DVD. The final season is expected to arrive next year, and we'll be closing the books on one incarnation of the show and continuing on in the same tradition with the new series. It's a good time to be a Hawaii Five-0 fan.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 14th, 2011
"Within the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit are rapid response teams known as RED CELLS. These nontraditional teams operate outside the bureaucracy of and report solely to the Director of the FBI. "
It started as a back-door pilot last year on an April episode of Criminal Minds called The Flight. We are introduced to the Red Cell Team. The team is headed by one Sam Cooper, played by Forest Whitaker. Sam's talent is that he can really get inside of a killer's head.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 8th, 2011
"A family is a place where minds come in contact with one another. If these minds love one another, the home will be as beautiful as a flower garden. But if these minds get out of harmony with one other, it is like a storm that plays havoc with the garden."
To the point, Criminal Minds is very compelling television. Ever since The Silence Of The Lambs and perhaps long before, we have been fascinated by serial killers and the profilers who try to get inside their heads.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 8th, 2011
"Every story has a beginning, but ours doesn't start the way you might think. Sure, it begins on a street that looks like most and with a family that was, for the most part, normal...ordinary."
Superheroes are big business these days. I'm not just talking the blockbuster tentpole films, either. Television has enjoyed a bit of a resurgence thanks to shows like Heroes. All we've been waiting for was someone to come up with a fresh take on the whole thing.
