Posted in: The Reel World by John Delia on December 3rd, 2018
by Diana Delia
Ralph Breaks the Internet is a sequel to the hit Disney animated film Wreck it Ralph. In Ralph Breaks the Internet, we follow our heroes from the last movie, Ralph and Vanellope, as they travel the internet in search of a broken part for Vanellope’s arcade game. They find the missing steering controller on eBay, and it’s the last one in existence. Up for auction, they give the winning bid for $27,000. They now must find a way to earn the money to pay for the controller with a deadline in five hours, or they will lose Vanellope’s game forever.
Ralph Breaks the Internet is a painfully average film, and compared to its predecessor, a huge disappointment. This sequel wasn’t bad, however, but it wasn’t too great either. There’s one big problem I had with this movie, and it’s Ralph. Ralph in the first movie had already gone through his character arc and was a very well developed character by the end of the film. In this movie it feels like they purposely broke the character just for a story line. Ralph in Ralph Breaks the Internet is now a needy, clingy, and annoying character. Throughout the movie Ralph is constantly holding Vanellope back from doing the things she wants to do to save herself. People who relate to her should start to feel how annoying Ralph can be.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on December 3rd, 2018
So this was not one of Nalyce’s favorite films to watch, but she was a trooper and watched it till the end. Benji Off the Leash is a digitally remastered telling of the 2004 film. To its credit, the story surprising holds up. Even more to its credit, my daughter was actually able to follow the story. I mean, I had to explain certain parts, like who was Benji? And explain the profession of dog breeding, a profession she automatically decided was a bad job given that to her eyes it broke up puppy families. However, once we cleared that hurdle, we were able to continue the movie. Full disclosure, my knowledge of Benji beforehand was nonexistent. I mean, I knew the name, but not the significance. Fortunately for me, there is a decent opener so that I could catch up.
Posted in: Holiday Gift Guides by Gino Sassani on November 30th, 2018
I think I see your problem. You have this list. It’s a list of people you need/want to buy a Christmas gift for. The trouble is that they’re into home theatre, and you don’t know Star Trek from Star Wars. You couldn’t tell a Wolf Man from a Wolverine. And you always thought that Paranormal Activity was something too kinky to talk about. Fortunately, Upcomingdiscs has come to the rescue every Christmas with our Gift Guide Spotlights. Keep checking back to see more recommendations for your holiday shopping. These gift guides ARE NOT paid advertisements. We take no money to publish them.
Universal has released a strong slate on both Blu-ray and 4K this year. The Universal Monster films is a particularly nice gift for a fan to find under their tree. Here's more on that Blu-ray set and some 4K titles from Universal
Posted in: Holiday Gift Guides by Gino Sassani on November 30th, 2018
I think I see your problem. You have this list. It’s a list of people you need/want to buy a Christmas gift for. The trouble is that they’re into home theatre, and you don’t know Star Trek from Star Wars. You couldn’t tell a Wolf Man from a Wolverine. And you always thought that Paranormal Activity was something too kinky to talk about. Fortunately, Upcomingdiscs has come to the rescue every Christmas with our Gift Guide Spotlights. These gift guides ARE NOT paid advertisements. We take no money to publish them. The kinds of things we recommend here are things I would be delighted to find under the tree.
Paramount has taken the 4k/UHD Blu-ray release to the next level. They are the first studio to really offer franchise sets so that you can watch your favorite film series in a complete collection. Here are some of the best from 2018 that any home theatre nut would be grateful to have under their tree. Just don't expect to spend a lot of time with them for a while. They're going to have some watchin' to do.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on November 29th, 2018
“I get it. You’re taking me back in time to show me my mother and father, and I’m supposed to get all goosey and blubbery. Well, forget it, pal…you got the wrong guy!”
Bill Murray was the absolute best at being a jerk on screen during the 1980s, which made him the right guy to step into the role of a modern-day Scrooge. Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” had been adapted countless times before Scrooged and there have been dozens of versions since the movie’s 1988 release. But while this sarcastic, intentionally gaudy update isn’t exactly the most faithful version of Dickens’ classic tale, it remains a personal childhood favorite.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on November 29th, 2018
“It’s handled, baby.”
Scandal, which followed the exploits of elite Washington D.C. fixer Olivia Pope and her torrid on-again/off-again relationship with the president of the United States, was never the Best Drama on television. But if the Emmys handed out a prize for “Most Drama,” this Shonda Rhimes-created soap opera would’ve been a shoo-in each of its seven seasons. So the fact that ABC released the final two seasons of Scandal in a handy bundle means there are almost too many twists and turns to count.
If you’ve never been Scandal-ized before, here’s a quick primer: Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington, who earned a pair of Emmy nominations for her work on the show) and her crisis management team of “gladiators” — which over the years included violently loyal techie Huck (Guillermo Diaz), the intense and enigmatic Quinn Perkins (Katie Lowes) and her former assassin boyfriend Charlie (George Newbern), along with the focused and capable Abby Whelan (Darby Stanchfield) — find themselves entangled with Washington D.C. power players, including President Fitzgerald “Fitz” Grant III (Tony Goldwyn) and his wife-turned-presidential hopeful Mellie Grant (Bellamy Young), who later vies for the Oval Office against Fitz’s Machiavellian former chief of staff Cyrus Beene (Jeff Perry).
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on November 28th, 2018
“…I’ll show you how to be rich.”
HBO’s fantastic and fiercely funny Succession is about a group of people who are great at being rich…and not much else. The show’s fictional Roy family controls the powerful conglomerate Waystar Royco, which bears more than a passing resemblance to the late Rupert Murdoch’s media and entertainment empire. The show would be entertaining enough if it merely lampooned the spoiled brats who stumble into becoming masters of the universe. But Succession goes to another level by wringing legitimately powerful family drama out of an objectively absurd and despicable cast of characters.
Posted in: Podcasts by Gino Sassani on November 27th, 2018
The end of the year is coming. That means holidays and some cooler temperatures (at least for some of you). In the movie industry, it's awards season. That means yours truly will have the opportunity to see tons of films looking for recognition when it comes time for me to vote. One of these films is Abe & Phil's Last Poker Game. It features Oscar winner Martin Landau in one of his final films, along with Paul Sorvino. It's a bit surprising to see these big stars when you discover it was directed by a first-time director who also happens to be a medical doctor working at Harvard. Those are some huge credentials... in the medical industry. I'm talking about Dr. Howard Lee Weiner M.D. This was a story I just had to hear for myself. So I ended up with a chance to talk to Dr. Weiner about this accomplishment. It's one of the more interesting film stories I've heard. Now you can check it out. Bang it here to listen to my conversation with director Howard Lee Weiner M.D.Director Howard Lee Weiner M.D.
You can also discover more about the film by checking it out here: Abe & Phil's Last Poker Game.
Posted in: Holiday Gift Guides by Gino Sassani on November 26th, 2018
I think I see your problem. You have this list. It’s a list of people you need/want to buy a Christmas gift for. The trouble is that they’re into home theatre, and you don’t know Star Trek from Star Wars. You couldn’t tell a Wolf Man from a Wolverine. And you always thought that Paranormal Activity was something too kinky to talk about. Fortunately, Upcomingdiscs has come to the rescue every Christmas with our Gift Guide Spotlights. These gift guides ARE NOT paid advertisements. We take no money to publish them. The kinds of things we recommend here are things I would be delighted to find under the tree.
CBS still has the highest rated dramas on television. There have been quite a few good DVD sets from the network in 2017. Here's a look at my recommendations. These first two are shows that are currently airing reboots. But these Blu-rays are the original shows
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on November 23rd, 2018
"In the ring, you got rules. Outside, you got nothing. Life hits you with all these cheap shots. People like me, we live in the past. You got people that need you now. You got everything to lose; this guy has got nothing to lose."
For the last couple of decades the sport of boxing has lost much of its popularity, at least here in the United States. The big matches used to be events where neighbors and friends would gather and enjoy the spectacle together. It likely started when long-time fighting fan and announcer Howard Cosell distanced himself from the sport, and the collapse appeared finally complete around the time Mike Tyson added ear to his menu. It's devolved so far that I haven't known who the champ is for more than 10 years. Everyone used to know the champ. It didn't matter if you followed the sport. The names used to be household names.
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