Hill Street Blues: The Final Season
Posted in No Huddle by Gino Sassani on January 4th, 2016
“Let’s be careful out there!”
The final season of Hill Street Blues arrives from Shout Factory. I think it’s likely you already have the full series collection. If not, this isn’t really the place to start. Over the course of seven years you really get a chance to get to know these characters. You see them evolve both as actors and characters. Yes, it all comes together with one of the better season finale episodes in television history. You just can’t deny yourself a chance to see it all. Last year I took that journey once again and binged the entire seven seasons, and I’m up for it again. In case you missed what there was to say about the show…read on.
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12 Days Of Christmas Giveaways – Day 11: Hill Street Blues: The Final Season From Shout Factory
Posted in Contests by Gino Sassani on January 4th, 2016
On The Eleventh Day Of Christmas Shout Factory Gives To You:
Hill Street Blues: The Final Season. It just might be one of the greatest shows in television history. It certainly changed the face of television drama. Shout Factory brings the season on home. Now we want to send the final season to your home.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
- Fill out your name and email address in the comment form below – your email address will remain private and visible only to us.
- Do not post your address as an actual comment! Instead tell us – What would you like to see us change here at Upcomingdiscs?
- Only those comments that answer our question will be considered.
Contest is now closed Winner is Bill Norris
Winners are notified by E-mail. If you did not get a confirmation E-mail from us, check your Spam filter and contact us. Any prize not claimed in 2 weeks will be forfeit and be placed in the end of year contests next Holiday Season.
The Visit (Blu-ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on January 4th, 2016
At this point, the most shocking M. Night Shyamalan-related twist would be for the director to make a movie that people actually enjoyed. (The “M.” stands for “maligned,” right?) Hopes weren’t exactly high when it was announced Shyamalan — who was once fated to become either “the next Hitchcock” or “the next Spielberg” — would be dabbling in the fading found footage genre. So imagine my surprise to find that The Visit — a broad, nutty mix of comedy and horror — is the director’s loosest, most playful effort since Signs. It’s also his first (subjectively) non-terrible flick in about a decade.
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The Green Inferno (Blu-ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on January 4th, 2016
It’s been a long wait for those of us wanting to see Eli Roth’s return behind the camera since Hostel 2 hit the screens. I’ve been more than a little excited since hearing about Roth’s plans to bring the cannibal genre to its jungle roots. It’s been long enough since audiences have been shocked by the ferocity we haven’t seen from the genre since Cannibal Holocaust and Cannibal Ferox. Sadly, the intentions were there, but the execution just fell short. Instead of getting the shock and gore we’ve come to expect since Cabin Fever and Hostel 1&2, this time around we get a film that feels a little restrained.
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Wrecker
Posted in No Huddle by J C on January 4th, 2016
“This road is like a magnet for serial killers.”
There’s a difference between paying tribute and ripping somebody off. Wrecker — a high-speed, low-budget actioner — bills itself as “an homage to road classics like Duel.” Unfortunately, that’s far from the only nod to Steven Spielberg’s 1971 thriller. Wrecker rehashes every significant story beat from Duel, except with a lot less filmmaking skill and a pair of infinitely more annoying protagonists.
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Adulterers
Posted in No Huddle by Dan Holland on January 3rd, 2016
It is not very often that I am able to say that a film revolving around an extramarital affair keeps me engaged. While the writing in Adulterers became rather unfavorable towards the end, the strength of the conflict and the pacing of the editing and cinematography combine to make a significant force. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by the intensity of the drama that unfolds among the disturbed trio, but there were many moments that distracted me from that pleasure. Through this review, I aim to be as fair and as spoiler-free as possible. I believe this film is definitely worth the watch, regardless of what does not “work” for me.
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12 Days Of Christmas Giveaways – Day 10: History Bible Collection
Posted in Contests by Gino Sassani on January 3rd, 2016
On The Tenth Day Of Christmas History Gives To You:
The Bible Collection. Our friendly little elf friends at history want to remind us all what Christmas is really about. It’s not that small trees need love. This prize is a 16-disc collection of some of History’s best Bible documentaries. You get episodes from Mysteries Of The Bible: The Bible’s Greatest Heroes, Mysteries Of The Bible, The Execution Of Jesus, God vs. Satan: The Final Battle, Bible Stories From The Old Testament, Bible’s Secrets Revealed, Mary Of Nazareth, Jesus: His Life, Christianity: The First Two Thousand Years and both parts of Banned From The Bible. All going to a lucky Upcomingdiscs follower.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
- Fill out your name and email address in the comment form below – your email address will remain private and visible only to us.
- Do not post your address as an actual comment! Instead tell us – What is your New Year resolution?
- Only those comments that answer our question will be considered.
Contest is now closed Winner is Bobby Drew
Winners are notified by E-mail. If you did not get a confirmation E-mail from us, check your Spam filter and contact us. Any prize not claimed in 2 weeks will be forfeit and be placed in the end of year contests next Holiday Season.
The Last House
Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 2nd, 2016
As soon as you see the opening credits to The Last House, you have a pretty idea that you’re not in Kansas anymore, which was quite strange for me, since I’m supposed to be in Florida. Director Sean Cain lets you know up front that the film will challenge your ability to keep up. It doesn’t help that you get an intercut of actor Ezra Buzzington spouting some kind of philosophy that makes no sense, partly because you can’t understand everything he’s even saying. Sadly, the film doesn’t come with subtitles, so it appears that Cain just doesn’t want you to get comfortable at all. Well… mission accomplished. So, is that a good thing or a bad thing?
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12 Days Of Christmas Giveaways – Day 9: Duck Dynasty: Season 1-8 Collector’s Set From History
Posted in Contests by Gino Sassani on January 2nd, 2016
On The Ninth Day Of Christmas History Gives To You:
Duck Dynasty Seasons 1-8. Our friendly little elf friends at History want to give you the business. The Robertson family business, that is. Well…here it all is. Every episode of the first eight years including the Deck The Halls Christmas Special. You get 18 DVD’s in all. It’s our way of helping one lucky winner keep all their Ducks in a row. That means hours of Phil, Si, Willie and Jase. That also means hours of terrific guest stars and crazy antics.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
- Fill out your name and email address in the comment form below – your email address will remain private and visible only to us.
- Do not post your address as an actual comment! Instead tell us – Who is your favorite Duck Dynasty Character?
- Only those comments that answer our question will be considered.
Contest is now closed Winner is Jim Gardner
Winners are notified by E-mail. If you did not get a confirmation E-mail from us, check your Spam filter and contact us. Any prize not claimed in 2 weeks will be forfeit and be placed in the end of year contests next Holiday Season.
Hitman: Agent 47 (Blu-ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on January 2nd, 2016
“History of man is defined by war. And war is defined by the men who fight it.”
Well, it is definitely more high-tech than the 2007 version, but is that necessarily a good thing? That’s what you are here to find out in this reboot of the popular video game of the same name (minus the Agent 47 part, that is). Rupert Friend is Agent 47 in this updated version, and I will say that despite my initial upset feelings about the recasting of the character, he does an excellent job as the highly motivated and proficient assassin.
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Sinatra: All Or Nothing At All (Blu-ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 2nd, 2016
“His imperfections were unsettling. But Frank Sinatra was a genuine artist, and his work will endure as long as men and women can hear and ponder and feel. In the end, that’s all that really matters.”
He was The Beatles before The Beatles were The Beatles. His voice would make women swoon and men want to be him. He romanced some of the most beautiful women in Hollywood history, and he sat at tables with kings, princesses and presidents. He was The Voice. The Chairman Of The Board. He was Old Blue Eyes. His name was Francis Albert Sinatra, but we all called him Frank.
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Victor Frankenstein
Posted in The Reel World by Gino Sassani on January 2nd, 2016
“You know this story…”
At least you think that you do. Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein is one of the best known novels of all time. But thanks in part to Hollywood, it is also one of the most misrepresented stories of all time. I’m a fan of both the novel and the series of Universal and Hammer films going all the way back to 1931 when Boris Karloff played The Monster and Colin Clive played the mad Dr. Frankenstein. Missing from both the original novel and the James Whale Universal film is any mention of a character named Igor. There isn’t even an assistant at all in the book, and in the 1931 film the hunchbacked lab assistant was named Fritz and was played by Dwight Frye.
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12 Days Of Christmas Giveaways – Day 8: Original Christmas Classics Gift On Blu-ray From Dreamworks
Posted in Contests by Gino Sassani on January 1st, 2016
On The Eighth Day Of Christmas Film Detective Gives To You:
The Original Christmas Classics Anniversary Collector’s Edition. This time it’s on Blu-ray. The collection features some of the biggest Christmas Classics from the vintage days of the television specials. In one collection you’re going to get 7 all-time classic specials. We’re talking Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty The Snowman. Those are two of the best there ever was. The set also includes the rare Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. In this day of super heroes this is one of the earliest. It’s Santa’s origin story told in wonderful stop-motion. I haven’t seen it since I was a kid. What a blast to share it with my family. The set also includes The Little Drummer Boy, Cricket On The Hearth which stars Roddy McDowall and Danny Thomas, Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol and Frosty Returns. You want this collection on your shelf before the next Christmas season rolls around. Now you can win it on DVD thanks to our Christmas buddies at Dreamworks.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
- Fill out your name and email address in the comment form below – your email address will remain private and visible only to us.
- Do not post your address as an actual comment! Instead tell us – What was your favorite Upcomingdiscs review in 2015?
- Only those comments that answer our question will be considered.
Contest is now closed Winner is Leslie Davis
Winners are notified by E-mail. If you did not get a confirmation E-mail from us, check your Spam filter and contact us. Any prize not claimed in 2 weeks will be forfeit and be placed in the end of year contests next Holiday Season.
Don’t forget to check out more Holiday fun at: Dreamworks Classic Santa
The Hateful Eight
Posted in The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on January 1st, 2016
The name Quentin Tarantino carries the weight of legacy of such directors as Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, and more recently Christopher Nolan. I’m not saying one is better than the other, but simply by name recognition alone Tarantino is in the company of directors that when you hear that his name is attached, there will be a loyal fan base flocking to the theaters to see what they have to dazzle us with. This time around Tarantino returns to the cinema in his biggest release to date; in glorious 70mm we have The Hateful Eight. Tarantino returns to the Western genre, only this time he heads out west to Wyoming to thrust us into his most claustrophobic setting since Reservoir Dogs. Let me just come out of the gate and say, if you’re looking for the over-the-top fun you found in Django Unchained, you’re going to have to readjust those expectations; this time around we are given something much more intimate and all the more rich with dark humor.
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Shameless: Season 5 (Blu-ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on January 1st, 2016
America’s most dysfunctional family is back for a fifth season. Showtime dramedy series Shameless, based on the popular UK series of the same name, continues with the same level of comedy and drama that has made it one of the network’s all-time popular shows. The Gallagher clan is always full of surprises, and this season is no different, especially when comes to the family matriarch, Fiona, who probably comes through the largest arc this season as always. Usually when a show reaches this point, it begins to show signs of tedium or signals that it is close to its end; however, that is not the case here, as the season 6 is expected to begin in January.
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12 Days Of Christmas Giveaways – Day 7 Bucket Of Blood and The Bat On Blu-ray From Film Detective
Posted in Contests by Gino Sassani on December 31st, 2015
On The Seventh Day Of Christmas Film Detective Gives To You:
Roger Corman’s cult classic Bucket Of Blood and Vincent Price in The Bat. These classic horror tales come to you in high definition on Blu-ray. You’ve read about them in our gift guide now you have a chance to have them on us and the friendly folks over at Film Detective. It’s a Halloween Christmas and you get the treats. No tricks.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
- Fill out your name and email address in the comment form below – your email address will remain private and visible only to us.
- Do not post your address as an actual comment! Instead tell us – Have you ever won a prize from us before. If so, what did you win and did you enjoy it. A yes answer will not hurt your chances of winning here. Winners are selected using a randomizer program and there is no rule against multiple wins.
- Only those comments that answer our question will be considered.
Contest is now closed Winner is Deb Philppon
Winners are notified by E-mail. If you did not get a confirmation E-mail from us, check your Spam filter and contact us. Any prize not claimed in 2 weeks will be forfeit and be placed in the end of year contests next Holiday Season.
Don’t forget to visit these guys for more classic films: Film Detective
Bone Tomahawk (Blu-ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on December 31st, 2015
“We’re in hell.”
The Blu-ray cover for Bone Tomahawk features a grizzled Kurt Russell donning a cowboy hat. That image immediately indicated to me that I would be in steady, exceedingly capable hands for the forthcoming Western adventure. What I didn’t necessarily expect was for Bone Tomahawk to also deliver one of the more frightening, engrossing, and pulse-pounding movie-watching experiences of the year.
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12 Days Of Christmas Giveaways – Day 6: My Favorite Martian: Complete Series From MPI Home Video
Posted in Contests by Gino Sassani on December 30th, 2015
On The Sixth Day Of Christmas MPI Media Group Gives To You:
My Favorite Martian The Complete Series. This is quite the little treasure we have here. MPI has put together an impressive list of extras and every episode of the Bill Bixby / Ray Waltson classic. Long before The Avengers Bixby was The Incredible Hulk. (Okay, he was Banner and Lou Ferrigno was the big green guy). Long before Mork arrived from Ork Uncle Martin arrived from Mars and into the life of newspaper reporter Tim O’Hara. We’re talking hours of memories here that you really want on your video shelf. This might well be one of my favorite giveaways.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
- Fill out your name and email address in the comment form below – your email address will remain private and visible only to us.
- Do not post your address as an actual comment! Instead tell us – How long have you been visiting us here at Upcomingdiscs?
- Only those comments that answer our question will be considered.
Contest is now closed Winner is Jimmy Z.
Winners are notified by E-mail. If you did not get a confirmation E-mail from us, check your Spam filter and contact us. Any prize not claimed in 2 weeks will be forfeit and be placed in the end of year contests next Holiday Season.
Unauthorized Full House Story
Posted in No Huddle by Archive Authors on December 30th, 2015
Does anyone remember Full House? Of course you do. It was recently given a kind of reboot which is supposed to debut on Netflix in 2016. That’s pretty good for a show that debuted in 1987. It ended in 1995 with 192 episodes. That is a very successful run, and it launched the Olson twins as mega-moguls. The twins apparently no longer act, so they will not be in the reboot. I hear they are very, very rich ($300,000,000?). I also hear that Ashley might have Lyme disease, which is a long term ordeal and difficult to overcome. Apparently The Unauthorized Full House came about because Lifetime had success with The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story. I will say that I expected juicy dirt about the various cast members.
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Tuesday Round Up: December 29, 2015
Posted in Contests, Tuesday Round Up by J C on December 29th, 2015
Well, partners, it’s time for the final Tuesday Round Up of 2015…and we’ve got plenty of fireworks before year’s end! We’ll be setting our sights on Hitman: Agent 47, courtesy of Fox. Lionsgate pulls one last major Heist, and Image Entertainment cuts straight to the Bone Tomahawk. Finally, the end of the year also means it’s Showtime! Reviews for two of the cable channel’s series are on the way: Warner Bros. is utterly Shameless: Season 5, while CBS/Paramount reacquaints us with Ray Donovan: Season 3.
This is actually the fifth Tuesday of the month, which means you fine people are getting an extra chance to win free stuff. Once a month we’re going to give away a surprise DVD title from our archives to a lucky winner who comments in our weekly Round-Up posts. All you have to do is comment in a Round-Up post — like this one! — and tell us which of the featured titles you’re most curious to read about. (Quick reminder: You’re not telling us which title you’d like to win; your free DVD will be a surprise.)
The winners and their prizes will be announced the first week of every month right here in our Tuesday Round-Up post. You can’t win if you don’t comment. Contest is open to residents of the U.S and Canada.
One last reminder before signing off for the week: if you’re shopping for anything on Amazon and you do it through one of our links, it’ll help keep the lights on here at UpcomingDiscs. See ya next week!
CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED: Congrats to Vicki Wurgler, who won Field of Lost Shoes on DVD.
12 Days Of Christmas Giveaways – Day 5 The Wonder Years: Season 4 From Time-Life/Star Vista
Posted in Contests by Gino Sassani on December 29th, 2015
On The Fifth Day Of Christmas Time-Life Gives To You:
We have some great friends over at Time Life and Star Vista. They’re you’re friends, too. This time it’s season 4 of The Wonder Years. Take a trip back in time to what it was like to be a kid in the 1960?s. Plus there’s Joe Cocker’s version of A Little Help From My Friends. It’s all here for a lucky Upcomingdiscs winner. ‘Tis the season for some wonder.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
- Fill out your name and email address in the comment form below – your email address will remain private and visible only to us.
- Do not post your address as an actual comment! Instead tell us – What movie are you looking forward to seeing most in 2016?
- Only those comments that answer our question will be considered.
Contest is now closed Winner is Rajee
Winners are notified by E-mail. If you did not get a confirmation E-mail from us, check your Spam filter and contact us. Any prize not claimed in 2 weeks will be forfeit and be placed in the end of year contests next Holiday Season.
12 Days Of Christmas Giveaways – Day Four: CPO Sharkey: The Best of Season 1 From Time-Life
Posted in Contests by Gino Sassani on December 28th, 2015
On The Fourth Day Of Christmas Time-Life Gives To You:
CPO Sharkey The Best Of Season One. It’s Don Rickles as Sharkey. His job is to make everyone’s life miserable. But our friends at Time-Life and StarVista want to add a little laughter to help kick off your 2016. We’ve got a 6-episode Greatest Hits disc from the show’s first season. It’s going to an Upcomingdiscs follower.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
- Fill out your name and email address in the comment form below – your email address will remain private and visible only to us.
- Do not post your address as an actual comment! Instead tell us – What is the best Christmas Gift you ever gave.
- Only those comments that answer our question will be considered.
Contest is now closed Winner is Paul Trava
Winners are notified by E-mail. If you did not get a confirmation E-mail from us, check your Spam filter and contact us. Any prize not claimed in 2 weeks will be forfeit and be placed in the end of year contests next Holiday Season.
12 Days Of Christmas Giveaways – Day Three: Hallmark Christmas Collection From Cinedigm
Posted in Contests by Gino Sassani on December 27th, 2015
On The Third Day Of Christmas Hallmark Gives To You:
If you didn’t have a large enough Christmas library to share with that special someone, Hallmark wants to hook you up for next time. We’ve got a collection of 4 Holiday films on DVD: Christmas At The Cartwrights , A Cookie Cutter Christmas, Best Christmas Party Ever and Ice Sculpture Christmas. It’s hours of romance for the Holidays. We want to help extend that Christmas season for a lucky Upcomingdiscs follower.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
- Fill out your name and email address in the comment form below – your email address will remain private and visible only to us.
- Do not post your address as an actual comment! Instead tell us – What is the best Christmas Gift you ever got.
- Only those comments that answer our question will be considered.
Contest is now closed Winner is Melissa
Winners are notified by E-mail. If you did not get a confirmation E-mail from us, check your Spam filter and contact us. Any prize not claimed in 2 weeks will be forfeit and be placed in the end of year contests next Holiday Season.
Concussion
Posted in The Reel World by Archive Authors on December 27th, 2015
Football is extremely important to many (or most, or all) Americans. That would be an understatement, since football is a national obsession that can reach the level of mania at times. Football is close to a religion for some people. You don’t mess with football, but that is what Will Smith’s new film, Concussion, does. It tells the true story of a Nigerian doctor who has an extremely rigorous and conscientious approach to his work performing autopsies in the Pittsburgh coroner’s office. He supervised over the deaths of Mike Webster, Terry Long, Justin Strzelczyk, Andre Waters and Dave Duerson, who all died before the ages of 51. These autopsies were instrumental in uncovering the connection to a disease that had been associated with boxers, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).
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12 Days Of Christmas Giveaways – Day Two: Duck Dynasty: Season 4-6 From A&E/History/Lionsgate
Posted in Contests by Gino Sassani on December 26th, 2015
On The Second Day Of Christmas A&E/History Gives To You:
They’ll quack you up. It’s the Robertson Clan and they could be coming to your house as a late Christmas gift. Those busy little elves over at Lionsgate have sent us A&E’s Duck Dynasty Seasons 4-6 on DVD. It’s an 8-disc collection that delivers three full seasons of Duck Dynasty fun and games. It’s going out to a lucky Upcomingdiscs follower. We already know if these guys have been naughty or nice. How about you?
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
- Fill out your name and email address in the comment form below – your email address will remain private and visible only to us.
- Do not post your address as an actual comment! Instead tell us – Did you end up on Santa’s naughty or nice list for 2015 and why.
- Only those comments that answer our question will be considered.
Contest is now closed Winner is Daniel M.
Winners are notified by E-mail. If you did not get a confirmation E-mail from us, check your Spam filter and contact us. Any prize not claimed in 2 weeks will be forfeit and be placed in the end of year contests next Holiday Season.