Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jonathan Foster on December 3rd, 2012
In 1975, Gerald Ford was President of the United States, Wheel of Fortune made its debut, disco was groovy, and Patti Smith burst onto the music scene with her debut album, Horses. She would go on to become known as the “Godmother of Punk” and greatly influence the New Wave genre of music. I admit, before watching this concert, I had only heard one of Smith’s songs — her #1 single, “Because the Night” — so I was curious to hear more of her material. The fact that my aunt says she still owns an LP of Horses she bought as a teenager intrigued me more.
This concert was filmed during the 2005 Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Smith and her band spend 83 minutes playing 12 songs, including 11 from Smith’s records and a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone.” The entire group performs with the ease and familiarity that only comes with years and years of playing together. Lenny Kaye and Tom Verlaine’s guitar work anchors each song and blends very well with Tony Shanahan’s bass and Jay Dee Daugherty’s drums. Smith herself even jumps on guitar for a song or two, but someone needs to keep her away from the clarinet. I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure the clarinet shouldn’t sound like someone strangling a sick goose. I actually ended up muting my TV whenever she got to wailing on the clarinet.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on November 20th, 2012
"What's out there? Out in the great beyond? And what's beyond that? What's beyond beyond? The answer is, I don't know. And quite frankly, I don't want to know."
There is a lot of talent in front and behind the camera on this film, and if this film delivered on its potential this could be a surprise moneymaking giant. Unfortunately this film doesn’t manage to live up to its potential and becomes a missed opportunity for all involved. I’m not saying I didn’t like the movie; in fact I enjoyed quite a bit, but when you have Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill headlining your movie, I just expected a little more out of these guys.
Posted in: Uncategorized by Gino Sassani on October 25th, 2012
Our friends over A&E are staying in the baseball post-season spirit by giving us three copies of 100 Years As The Heart Of Red Sox Nation. Now you have a chance to visit the "green monster" any time you like. The best part? It's free.
To win just follow these instructions.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 13th, 2012
The title might be a bit misleading this year. Alicia is not so "good" this season. She's tougher and more willing to make the hard choices. She's more cutthroat in court and even when it comes to asserting her position in the firm and with her cheating husband. This is not the "stand by your man" show it might have appeared to be when it began. It's evolved, and that only makes for better television.
The series is not really a lawyer procedural, at least not on the surface. The first images of the pilot lead us to believe we aren't getting a legal drama at all, but a political one. Chicago's State's Attorney Peter Florrick (Noth) is walking to a podium with a large anxious crowd of press with microphones and cameras flashing. He's clutching the hand of his wife Alicia (Margulies) as he approaches the buzzing audience. The event turns into a scene we've seen quite frequently of late. A politician must apologize for a sex scandal with his bewildered wife standing beside him trying to hide all of those feelings of anger and betrayal that you know she must be feeling. Florrick is resigning his office, admitting to indiscretions but denying reports of corruption that have apparently been looming over his administration. At first you are sure, in spite of the show's title, that this is Peter Florrick's story. It's not. From this point on the focus will be almost entirely upon Alicia.
Posted in: Contests, Expired Contests, Uncategorized by Gino Sassani on August 13th, 2012
Our pals over at CBS/Paramount have given us a copy of NCIS The 9th Season to give away. You get all 24 episodes on 6 discs. Join Gibbs and his team for a 9th year of explosive drama.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
Posted in: Uncategorized by Gino Sassani on August 13th, 2012
Check out the trailer for this Holiday film. It's coming your way December 7th, 2012. Gerard Butler is a down on his luck soccer star coming home to build a relationship with his son and rebuild his own life. The film also features Dennis Quaid, Uma Thurman, Jessica Biel and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Posted in: Uncategorized by Gino Sassani on July 30th, 2012
It was a great Summer for contests here at Upcomingdiscs. We want to thank A&E/History and 2K Games for really stepping up for our readers.
Remember them when you're out there shopping.
Posted in: Uncategorized by Gino Sassani on June 22nd, 2012
It's been a busy weekend for movies. We also caught Pixar's new film Brave. A review is coming. It's another fun adventure. While you're waiting go behind the scenes for some Pixar magic
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on June 8th, 2012
"In space no one can hear you scream."
It was the tagline that brought us by the droves into our neighborhood cinemas in 1979 to see one of Ridley Scott's two classic science fiction adventures. Alien was one of the scariest science fiction films we've ever seen. It wasn't just the wonderfully organic H.R. Giger designs that had us on the edge of our seats. Scott delivered a claustrophobic nightmare that caged us with this remarkable killing machine. Much the same feeling I had recently trapped in a mini-van with a large spider on the prowl. It was an instant classic and holds up just as well today. It was, of course, followed by one worthy sequel and another two that I choose to pretend never happened. More recently, the franchise was paired with the Predator universe for another two films, the second of which was actually a pretty good film. Still it has been with bated breath that many of us were waiting for Ridley Scott to return to these classic roots and scare us all over again. The result of that 30 + year wait is Prometheus.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 5th, 2012
"Blacks are mentally inferior, by nature subservient, and cowards in the face of danger. They are therefore unfit for combat." - U.S. Army War College Study 1925
Obviously, there's another story to be told here. George Lucas says that he's been wanting to tell this story for over 20 years. It's a story that has often been told in both film and documentary form. In none of those cases has the movie been made into the kind of spectacle film that we find in Red Tails. Lucas gives the legendary air group the Saving Private Ryan treatment, and we get to see these World War II heroes in flight like we've never seen before.
![WWII in HD [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/wwii-in-hd-blu-ray-large.jpg)
