Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Michael Durr on October 12th, 2009
The people at Warner Bros recently decided to adopt a new strategy when dealing with some of their back catalog. They would propose a printing on demand option or what they would dub the “Archive Collection”. This would allow collectors to own classics of long forgotten films and keep costs at a minimal to Warner Bros. One such movie was named Lightning Strikes Twice which came out in 1951 with Ruth Roman. Hopefully this one was a gem and not something that should be long forgotten back in the vault.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 9th, 2009
Medium made a jump in its 5th season. NBC axed the show, but the folks at CBS decided to pick it up and continue the series. It’s not a huge leap, actually. CBS was already showing the similar and better Ghost Whisperer, and the series was produced by the CBS parent company, Paramount. That means that the production team pretty much stays intact and the show doesn’t really suffer any kind of transition. The same can be said for the release. The packaging and production values are pretty much identical to the previous four years.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 9th, 2009
The Strawberry Shortcake Movie: Sky’s the Limit definitely surprised me. As I turned this 96-minute movie on I expected to be bombarded with female stereotypes: flowers, butterflies, and the color pink. Though Strawberry didn’t fail to deliver these dainty, feminine elements, it also offered six very strong and independent female characters.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 8th, 2009
Horror fans have suffered through a severe case of déjà vu of late. All of the major titles of the 80’s and 90’s slasher cycle have now been either remade or are currently in production. There isn’t a big title remaining. Now it appears anything is fair game. Are we really that desolate of originality in this modern age? Today no cult classic or bomb is safe from being regurgitated back to us in either a theatrical release. Or, more likely, a direct to DVD project. In some cases, I’ve welcomed the occasional re-release, if the new film has something new to offer
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on October 7th, 2009
This season finds the protagonists well beyond high school, now having adventures in the adult world. So writer Lucas, in the midst of promoting his book, proposes to Peyton. Brooke fights to save her clothing business from the clutches of her mother From Hell. Piece of work Dan is flattened by a car and then finds himself in the hospital, helpless, badly injured, and at the mercy of a sadistic nurse out for revenge. Basketball player Nathan doesn't know that his mother is having an affair with one of his friends. And on we go, and I haven't even mentioned the episode that's a fantasy construction of Lucas', relocating the entire cast and setting to the 1940s.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 6th, 2009
“You know those shows that say don’t try this at home? This is one of those.”
Scare Tactics is really nothing new. In 1948 one of the very first television shows to air on network television was a converted radio program originally called Candid Microphone and renamed Candid Camera for television. It was the brain child of Allen Funt, who began the idea while in the armed services, secretly recording fellow servicemen in awkward positions for his Armed Forces Radio program.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 6th, 2009
Written by Adrienne Ambush
Growing up, I wasn’t really a fan of the cartoon Transformers; I was actually more of a Muppet babies kind of girl, but the minute I hit play on my DVD player I was instantly transported back to a time when nothing else mattered to me except for what was on TV and what time dinner was going to be later that night.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 6th, 2009
“Welcome to The Hundred Acre Wood, where voices come together in joyful celebration and, the seasons gently turn like pages in a book. A time of giving, shared with good friends and a silly old bear named Winnie The Pooh.”
“Oh Bother”A.A. Milne was quite an eclectic writer. He wrote murder mysteries that even appeared on Alfred Hitchcock Presents. From that fertile mind would also come a place known as the Hundred Acre Wood. In that select place some of literature’s finest characters had the greatest adventures any boy could imagine.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 5th, 2009
“In 1982 controversial film director Wilson Wyler Concannon released his only film, The Hills Run Red. Because of its graphic depiction of sadism and murder the film was quickly pulled from theaters. All known prints vanished and no cast member was ever found. Over the years film historians attempted to find the film, but all that remained was a crudely made trailer. Director Wilson Wyler Concannon was never heard from again.”
Believe it or not, The Hills Run Red was a project saved at one point by the Man Of Steel himself, Superman. Okay, it’s not like the famous Kryptonian hero actually swooped in and rescued anyone on the project, but he does deserve some credit for the film’s ultimate release.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 5th, 2009
The idea of a British television series being adapted for American screens is really nothing new. Lately a lot has been written about the phenomenon as if it’s some recent trendy invasion of English telly. We’ve been watching British hits since at least the 1970’s. In those days it was the sit-com that got the most attention from across the pond. Till Death Do Us Part and Steptoe And Son became All In The Family and Sanford And Son, respectively. Both shows became even bigger hits here in the states and are remembered by more folks on both continents than the originals today.
