Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on September 27th, 2019
When it comes to shows that simply sneak up on you and manage to suck you in, This Is Us would be a show I never saw coming nor expected to simply fall in love with. As a show that is on network television it stands toe to toe with the best that cable has to offer. But what is most surprising is that what sets this show apart from the rest of the pack isn’t a complex antihero or dragons; instead, it is as simple as being a show that feels as real as anything I’ve seen on television in some time. As the title would suggest This Is Us is simply about a family and the struggles and successes that come day to day, though as many of you can understand and relate, there is nothing simple about life and the constant hurdles that are thrown at us on a day-to-day basis. I was hesitant when I first began the series, but I was quickly moved by its characters and their stories. I was impressed by the first two seasons, and I’ve wondered if it can maintain its level of quality moving into a third season level. After another 18 episodes and plenty of tears, I was a little let down by the first part of the season, but it came together in the end, delivering some of the best moments in the shows run to date.
Posted in: Random Fun by Gino Sassani on September 26th, 2019
"...Til the one day when the lady met this fellow, and they knew that it was much more than a hunch
that this group must somehow form a family. That's the way we all became the Brady Bunch."
Sept 26th, 2019 Marks the 50th anniversary of the debut of The Brady Bunch.
Has it really been 50 years? Nothing make me feel as old as when a film or television show I watched as a kid celebrates some grand anniversary milestone. It's like birthdays without the ice cream cake. On September 26th, The Brady Bunch celebrate its 50th anniversary. And we're talking about The Brady Bunch 50th Anniversary TV & Movie Collection. They call it the Bradiest collection ever, and that's no exaggeration. The 31-disc collection features just about anything that was ever associated with the name Brady. I'm surprised there isn't a complete collection of New England Patriot football games for the last decade or so. What you will get is pretty impressive:
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 26th, 2019
The biggest complaint I hear about today's movies is that there's no originality at the box office anymore. While it's true that most of the big earners are comic book heroes, sequels, reboots, monsters, or fantasy book franchises it's simply not accurate at all to say there isn't anything original happening in cinema anymore. If you are willing to take a chance on something different, you'll find it everywhere, and while it might not dominate the media buzz, it's there all the same, and your local multiplex likely dedicates at least a couple of screens to these kinds of films. Yesterday is certainly one of those little gems that go by not completely unnoticed but receiving far less buzz than it deserves. The fact is, there's still room for all species of film. After pulling in a more than respectable $150 million at the box office, Yesterday is now out on home video, including this UHD Blu-ray release in 4K.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 26th, 2019
"Oh no. Has it been a year already?"
The 10th season of Modern Family has arrived on home video. The series entered its 10th season with a bit of a tease. It was revealed that during this season one of the cast members would die. Of course the expectation being built was that it would be one of the regulars, and speculation had it that Jay was going to be the one to go. I never bought any of that. Jay's the patriarch of this family and the one piece of the enormous puzzle that might be the most essential. What I and many fans of the show didn't expect was that it would actually be a recurring character, and that the core family was safe for one more season. After the 11th season, it all comes to an end. Modern Family will be riding off into the sunset come spring of 2020, and it will be a sad day indeed. But that's a ways off, and we still have Season 10 on home video to watch.
Posted in: Podcasts by Gino Sassani on September 22nd, 2019
Downton Abbey spent six seasons on television and has amassed 52 episodes. In that relatively short run the series has also managed to collect over 200 award nominations and several Golden Globes along with other prestigious awards. Let's not forget a rather loyal fan-base that has watched each episode with anticipation of the next sharp barb or character revelation. The fans have been vocal and strong enough that a new film franchise has been anticipated to fill the void left by the series. In one of its years it was the number-one binged series in the world. That's a lot of power, and it's little wonder that all of these ingredients are expected to create a little box office gold. But film franchises from television shows rarely go on to such golden heights. There are some notable exceptions, to be sure. But even here, expectations and changing caretakers often lead to both high points and flops. The Star Trek franchise is a perfect example of those kinds of ups and downs. Mission Impossible is an example of shows that have to be completely retooled to hit the high numbers. Where will Downton Abbey fit in this equation? I rather suspect the jury is still out. One thing I can tell you with complete confidence: the film will absolutely entertain fans of the series. There's no retooling to be found here, and you can expect the same kind of drama that you've been mainlining for 52 episodes.
Posted in: The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on September 21st, 2019
You know a movie’s bad when Brad Pitt isn’t enough to save it. However, where Ad Astra falls down is in execution of story rather than a failure on the part of Mr. Pitt. The premise was interesting: a son follows in the footsteps of his hero astronaut father to learn that his father, who was previously believed to be dead, may be responsible for catastrophic events plaguing the Earth. There is depth to the story, and the idea of human beings colonizing other planets was shown in a truly interesting and realistic manner, but instead of this being the forefront of the film, the story focuses primarily on a emotional journey that never pans out. The film also features a cast of superstars whose performances were little more than cameos. A waste of talent if you ask me. I mean, why put together a cast that includes Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, Liv Tyler, and Ruth Negga, just to have their contributions be the length of a commercial. Yes, I know that was an exaggeration, but it just seems wasteful.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 20th, 2019
"My name is Kara Zor-El. I'm from Krypton. I'm a refugee on this planet. I was sent to Earth to protect my cousin. But my pod got knocked off course, and by the time I got here, my cousin had already grown up and become... Superman. I hid who I really was until one day when an accident forced me to reveal myself to the world. To most people, I'm a reporter at CatCo Worldwide Media. But in secret, I work with my adopted sister for the D.E.O. to protect my city from alien life and anyone else that means to cause it harm. I am Supergirl."
So, you're asking yourself, who the heck is Kara Zor-El, and what is this D.E.O.? I get it. You're just not caught up on the CW series Supergirl. It's not such a good idea to start here, however. You can check out our reviews for the first three seasons here. Catch up on the episodes, and then join the rest of us for Supergirl: The Complete Fourth Season.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 20th, 2019
In 1887, readers of the popular periodical Beeton's Christmas Annual were to receive quite a special treat. There wasn't much fanfare or hype to the event. Inside the pages of the magazine was a story called A Study In Scarlet. It was a detective story, perhaps like many published before, except for the detective himself, a certain Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Together with his faithful companion and chronicler Dr. Watson, Holmes would win the hearts of those holiday readers. It might have been an ordinary day, but the world was about to change. Sherlock Holmes would become the most famous detective in the world. His stories would remain in print nearly 130 years later. Over 100 films would be made featuring the character. There would be television shows and cartoon spoofs. No other character has appeared in more productions. When his creator dared to kill the beloved detective in order to move on to newer stories, his very life was threatened. It would seem that Doyle was on the verge of becoming a victim much like those in his stories. There was only one man who could save him from such a grim fate, and he did just that. It was Sherlock Holmes himself.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 20th, 2019
"Look. There ain't gonna be any cryin'."
Just a couple of years ago the reincarnation of Hawaii Five-O looked to be in a bit of a controversy with some of the cast members who have been with the show from its start. Daniel Dae Kim played Chin Ho Kelly, a character from the original series. Grace Park played Kono Kalakua. They were important characters on the show, but the actors didn't think they were getting paid enough. They believed they should have gotten the same pay as the two actors at the top of the call sheet. CBS declined their requests, and suddenly it became about race, because both actors are Asian. The only trouble with that theory is there are many Asian actors on the series, and this was the wrong show to play the race card against. Both are gone now. New cast members have moved in, and now the show appears to be at its best. The current cast is a strong blend of actors and characters. By the time I was halfway through this ninth season, I was asking myself Chin and Kono who?
Posted in: Podcasts by Gino Sassani on September 19th, 2019
Official Secrets is now out in theaters. It tells the story of a British Intelligence analyst Katherine Gun who leaked a memo that showed the U.S. and Britain attempting to get a UN resolution to sanction war in Iraq by leaning on UN members. It's a true story and stars Keira Knightly and Ralph Fiennes. The film was co-written and directed by Gavin Hood. I had a wonderful opportunity to talk with Gavin about the film. There were obviously some special circumstances with a film like this that depicts living people. How did he handle all of that? I found out and now so can you and you won't need an NSA wiretap to do it. Bang it here to listen in on my chat with Gavin Hood.
Visit the film's official site HERE
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