The Reel World

“Fight for honor. Fight for your children. Fight for your future. Fight for immortality!”

I know there are a lot of you out there who can’t wait for the huge 300 sequel: 300 The Battle Of Artemisia. You might even have your calendar circled for the Clash Of The Titans remake sequel Wrath Of The Titans, also on the horizon. In case you find that you just can’t wait, director Tarsem Singh has created a weigh-station, of sorts, with his action-packed Immortals.
Read More

Written by John Delia

Most everyone would like to be the boss, but in most instances there’s only one.  I hope my readers don’t have a boss as despicable as the ones in Horrible Bosses, a nicely funny comedy directed by Seth Gordon.  Filled with a lot of hilarious situations, this film is perfect for mature adults. If you are not offended by sexuality and a lot of crude language, then run to see Horrible Bosses.
Read More

Written by John Delia

It’s a chick flick, so there you go, I said it right up front.  And What’s Your Number? is very predictable, so there you go again.  AND it’s 27 Dresses with a bit more sex and without Katherine Heigl.  Actually, I almost liked the film up until two scenes that show the moral decay of American cinema.
Read More

Written by John Delia

When I see Seth Rogen’s name listed in the cast of a film, the first thing that comes to my mind is a wild comedy.  But in 50/50 Rogen adjusts his bizarre persona and creates a character that provides the right medicine to a poignant situation.  Although the film gets a little sappy at times, it delivers a strong, meaningful story.
Read More

Written by John Delia

The inspiring, moving, poignant true story Dolphin Tale splashes into theaters this weekend with a family friendly theme that’s sure to touch your heart.  Filmed in Florida where it happened, it’s a movie about a dolphin that receives a compassionate helping hand and a strange new lease on life.
Read More

Written by John Delia

The film Killer Elite plays out like you are watching a video game — kill an assassin and move up to the next level.  Exciting, power-packed, and relatively predictable, the film tends to mirror other action movies that have been released this year. The thing that does play better than the rest involves the suspense that comes with trying to decide who really is the bad guy here.
Read More

Written by John Delia

Sweet, charming and touching, My Afternoons with Margueritte has what it takes when it comes to entertainment value.  What makes the film so good comes from the acting of Girard Depardieu, Gisèle Casadesus and fine directing by Jean Becker.  If you prefer a film that has excellent acting with a loving script, then My Afternoons with Margueritte is your French strawberry croissant.
Read More

Written by John Delia

Here’s a remake that actually makes for better entertainment.  It’s called Straw Dogs, and the cunning little tale takes you into the dark side of a dysfunctional town and renders fear.   I was very much blown away by the film from its mellow beginning to a buildup of concern and a final turn of events that made me shudder.  If you like films that have a deep seeded alarming undertone, then rush to see Straw Dogs.
Read More

Written by John Delia

Just to make sure that the trailer for Drive doesn’t give you the wrong idea, NO, this is not a Jason Statham movie in the vein of the adrenaline pumping Transporter series.  Ryan Gosling holds his own in this rough surrealistic drama that inserts all the thrills shown in the preview and more.  If you like looking into the mind of a tough loner who is on a road to a life full of angst, then take a ride to Drive.
Read More

Not all documentaries can make a mark in society, but I found Genius On Hold a remarkable film that takes a crack at big business and proves positive.  Genius On Hold is eye opening, courageous and extraordinary. It’s a father and son story of fate that intertwines life struggles, crime and monopolies, which decide their future.  If there’s one documentary you see this year, make it be Genius On Hold.
Read More

Today we begin a new feature here at Upcomingdiscs.

From time to time we are invited to take a sneak peak at some of the movies that are about to make their box office debuts. They are not coming out on home theater release… just yet. You can count on them truly being Upcomingdiscs. The new series of articles will be called The Reel World. They may include several new films in one piece or focus on one particular release. With a summer filled with potential blockbusters, we decided this was the time to roll out the new feature. What better way to kick the whole thing off than with one of this summer’s most anticipated films: Thor.
Read More

The Simpsons announcement has dropped: December 18th is the day! Coming out on Blu-ray and DVD, both single disc releases:

• DVD: $29.98 U.S. / $43.48 Canada
• Blu-ray: $39.98 U.S. / $49.98 Canada

The DVD Release

“The Simpsons Movie DVD is presented in North America in widescreen format, featuring English Dolby Surround 5.1 sound, Spanish and French Dolby Surround and English and Spanish subtitles.”

Extras Galore:

• Commentary by, James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, Al Jean, Mike Scully, David Silverman, Dan Castellaneta, and joined by Yeardley Smith
• Directors Commentary by David Silverman, Mike B. Anderson, Steven Dean Moore and Rich Moore
• Deleted scenes: Russ Cargill – “Levels,” Springfield News, DMV, Sausage Truck, Emperor Moe, Alternate Ending
• Special Stuff: Homer’s Monologue On The Tonight Show, The Simpsons Judge American Idol, Homer Introduces American Idol, Let’s All Go To The Lobby, Alternate Character Designs by the Directors and Matt Groening

The Blu-ray Release

“The Simpsons Movie BD release will be authored in BD-Java with AVC (MPEG 4 compression) on a dual-layer 50 GB disc with English 5.1 DTS HD Lossless Master Audio plus English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. The disc will feature all of the above special features in high-def.”

I’m not seeing any cover art on the press site yet, but stay tuned. In the meantime, looks like a strong (though expensive!) release.

An interesting bit of news I stumbled across: a new Braveheart release on DVD. Uninspiring audio, but a new features list – I don’t think, from a cursory scan of Amazon, that all of these have been seen previously…

• Audio: 2.0 Surround, 5.1 Surround, Dolby Digital
• Commentary: Commentary by Director Mel Gibson TBD
• Other: Tales of William Wallace
• Other: A Writer’s Journey
• Other: Archival Interviews with the Cast of Braveheart
• Photo Gallery: Photo Montage
• Other: History Channel Pieces TBD
• Trailers: 2 Original Theatrical Trailers

Urggh. 42 disc (dvd) set, includes all 20 original films, plus Casino Royale. In their own words:

“Presented on two-disc special edition DVDs spanning 42 discs, each mission grants all-access to the chronicles of the agent’s storied career from the Bond archives, including deleted scenes, rare interviews, documentaries, featurettes, interactive film guides, music videos, audio commentaries and more.”

Each film has been…

“…recently restored and re-mastered for optimal sound and picture quality.”

The complete set retails for $270 CDN, pre-orderable October 10.

Or, you could get the Ultimate Edition box set for $180 at Amazon now, and grab a previously viewed copy of Casino Royale (2006) from BlockBuster for $8. Your call.

Disclaimer: I have no idea if these discs are any different from the UE’s – though both this new release and the UE’s are 2-disc sets – and I find it hard to imagine that MGM’s dredged up another set of extras for each film; I’ve emailed MGM and will post a response.