Posted in: The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on May 31st, 2019
Back in 2014 when Godzilla came out, I had a blast with the film, though one of the major complaints people had seemed to have been that there was not enough fights or not enough of Godzilla. Personally I didn’t see how this could be a complaint to take too seriously; after all, if you watch some of the older films, we’d only get maybe 15 minutes of screen time, but thankfully this wasn’t always the case. Now with the release of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, the human story is a bit of an afterthought, and it’s the titans that carry this blockbuster bonanza. Is this a good thing? You bet it is, though I’m sure there are plenty of stuffy critics who will complain about there being too many monster fights; for those critics, this movie wasn’t made for them. This is a movie made for the kid in all of us who wanted to believe in the possibility that giant monsters could exist, and seeing these hulking giants duke it out while destroying cities in the process just made us smile.
Posted in: The Reel World by John Delia on May 31st, 2019
If you think the movie Get Out was shocking, wait until you see the diabolical Ma. You won’t have a clue to what this party woman has cooked up until just the right moment. Then, as it unravels, even some of the hints are misleading. When you do know the truth, then it’s just one sick scene after another. Being transferred from LA to a new school in her mom Erica’s (Juliette Lewis), small hometown in Ohio, Maggie gets noticed by a clique. The in-group members, Haley (McKaley Miller), Andy (Corey Fogelmanis), Darrell (Dante Brown), and Chaz (Gianni Paolo) are the wild bunch of the school crowd who like to get drunk and smoke pot. But, Maggie likes that they were the first to greet her and makes friends with them. She also has an instant connection to Andy.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 31st, 2019
"So much has happened. I don't know where to start. First it was all the school shootings. Then these WiFi scooters showed up. And now we know that Manbearpig is real and we could all be dead in a matter of years."
That's true, but I suspect that when we are all dead and gone there will be two things we can count on continuing beyond the end of human civilization. The cockroaches will inherit the world, and they will all be watching South Park, the only television show still running. It's already been 22 years, and doesn't it feel like 50? I don't mean that in a mean way. I love South Park, but I'm starting to find it hard to remember what life was like without it. I'm convinced it will survive us all, and AI versions of Parker and Stone will be producing it until the planet is finally vaporized... and I'm not sure even that will stop this show.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on May 29th, 2019
Did you ever wonder what it would be like if on the many journeys Forrest Gump took, one of them involved him trying to solve a young boy’s disappearance and eventual murder? I didn’t think so. I’m not trying to be funny, but for the most part that is basically the gist of A Dark Place, where we see a young man who is on the spectrum become obsessed with solving a murder. It’s not that people who are on the spectrum can’t be highly intelligent and problem solvers, but this film takes things to another level, to where disability or not, no one could get away with what occurs in this film. Sure, there are movies that are about escaping reality, and one shouldn’t judge it for its realism, but when a film is attempting to be a slice of life in this small town that is devastated by the loss of a missing child, well, there comes a point where the audience should be allowed to call BS.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on May 24th, 2019
"I think it's time I told you about Aladdin, the princess, and the lamp."
There is very little new coming out of the Walt Disney Studios in recent years. For the last few years and into the near conceivable future, there has been a concerted effort by The Mouse House to remake as live-action films the vast library of animation classics. It pretty much started with the huge success of The Jungle Book, directed by Jon Favreau in 2016. The film did a wonderful job of bringing these jungle creatures to life through the modern-age miracle that is CGI. Somehow the film captured the very heart of the original animated feature and immersed us more fully into that world. No, it wasn't the first time Disney recreated an animated feature with live-action releases. But it was so dominant at the box office that it appeared to set the mold for these conversions going forward. This summer Disney set an ambitious schedule, delivering no less than three of these remade films to the summer schedule.
Posted in: Super Round Up by Brent Lorentson on May 24th, 2019
We got another batch of films from Film Movement sent to us here at Upcomingdiscs. This time around we have a pair of documentaries that delve into separate directions in the art world. I think to be fair when talking about these films for the most part I was going in blind on the subject matter when it comes to the Antonio Lopez documentary, with my lack of knowledge when it comes to the fashion scene of the 1970’s, and, well, even today’s standards of the industry. As for the painter Heironymus Bosch, I only remember vague details about the infamous painting that the documentary was about, so once again I’m pretty much going into this documentary with a clean slate on the material as well. So for those fashion gurus or art snobs out there, I apologize in advance for my ignorance on the subject matter.
Posted in: Super Round Up by Brent Lorentson on May 24th, 2019
Our good friends at Film Movement and Omnibus Entertainment sent a batch of titles for us to check out at UpcomingDiscs. For those unfamiliar with the companies, they mostly release independent and art house titles, so if you’re hoping to find out about the next Michael Bay blockbuster, well, this review most likely won’t be for you. With the titles I’ll be talking about here, the subject matter is a bit on the sexy side, but I wouldn’t go so far to say these are titles that belong in the adults-only section. Both of these titles are also Italian imports, so unless you are fluent in Italian, there are subtitles involved. So for those who have stuck around, let’s go ahead and get right to it.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 21st, 2019
"It's been five months since Hannah Baker killed herself. We never thought this trial would happen. We thought we could move on. But when I got called to testify, all of a sudden it made me realize we can't move on. Life is different now."
And that's pretty much the best way to sum up the second season of Netflix/CBS teenage drama 13 Reasons Why. The series started out as a novel in 2007. It didn't catch the world on fire and went largely unread until something appeared to cause the novel to pick up steam in 2011. It hit the New York Times Best Seller list and started to become a teen phenomenon around middle and high school campuses throughout the nation. If Harry Potter didn't provide enough proof that kids were still reading and doing it for their own enjoyment, this novel should do the job. There are no wizards or superheroes or distant alien worlds to explore here.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on May 20th, 2019
by John Delia Jr.
The life of a dog can be very short, but the dog’s purpose can last you a lifetime. A Dog’s Journey is a wonderful sequel and extends the story even further, grabbing your heart making it spill over with emotions. This story picks up shortly after where the first one left off. Bailey (voice Josh Gad) is a little older, and Hannah’s (Marg Helgenberger) son died, leaving his wife Gloria (Betty Gilpin) and a toddler Clarity June (Emma Volk) behind. Trying to help Gloria with the baby, Hannah and Ethan (Dennis Quaid) are doing their best to provide for them both. Being so young, Gloria seems to be preoccupied by trying to find a life for herself that tends to allow little CJ to wonder off. Sometimes it can be a little dangerous on a farm for a toddler. Bailey being the loving and protective dog that he is does his best to help keep CJ from harm. But after an incident, Ethan and Hannah offer to take care of CJ so Gloria can take a job far from home.
Posted in: The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on May 18th, 2019
“Fourteen million dollar bounty on his head. Every interested party wants a piece of it. I’d say the odds were about even.”
The word “Parabellum” acts as a double entendre for the film. First there is the obvious reference to a 9mm parabellum bullet, and then there is the Latin phrase, “Si vis pacem, para bellum,” which translates to “If you want peace, prepare for war.” That is exactly what Keanu Reeves gives to those interested parties looking to cash in on the bounty on his head. Picking directly after the events of Chapter 2, Winston (Ian McShane) grants John Wick a one-hour head start after he violates Continental rules and kills crime boss Santino D’Antonio on hotel grounds. Now excommunicated with a 14-million-dollar bounty on his head, John is the target of every member of the criminal underground of New York. Cut off from resources and without protection, the most anyone can hope to survive is a hour or two; however, John Wick is not most people. His attempts to stay alive lead him along the streets of New York City to the sandy dunes of Morocco. All while attempt to stay one step ahead of his pursuers, including the High Table that he used to serve.
On The Web
Sponsors
