Superjail: Season Three
Posted in No Huddle by Archive Authors on July 11th, 2013
Cartoons are for kids. Most of the time. Then there is Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network. Adult Swim plays during the late night hours and is under much looser federal regulation. Much, much looser, I would say. In fact, it may be possible that the definition of the term loose has been stomped and squashed into a giant red stain on the sidewalk. I have not spent a lot of time watching Adult Swim, but I was not ready for the content of Superjail: Season 3. I think it would be hard to imagine something more offensive and shocking, but I’m sure it exists.
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Portlandia – Season Three
Posted in No Huddle by J C on July 10th, 2013
Oregon may have been the 33rd state to join our union — and Portland may be its most populous city — but Portlandia is a (dog-dressing, raw milk-drinking, Seattle-hating) state of mind. And after three seasons of lovingly mocking upper middle class indulgence along with the denizens of the Pacific Northwest, Portlandia — created by stars Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein and director Jonathan Krisel — feels more like a fully-realized destination than ever.
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Phantom (Blu-ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on July 10th, 2013
“There are only two reasons why a boat would go rogue. One is to defect, and the other is to start a war, and I don’t think we’re defecting. ”
Abraham Lincoln once said, “The best way to get rid of an enemy is to make him a friend.” That’s one way; however, Phantom proposes a different tactic: the best way to get rid of an enemy is to get someone else to do it. Which do you agree with more? Ed Harris and David Duchovny square off as two pieces on the opposite sides of the chess board locked in a submarine together with control of a nuclear warhead being the checkmate.
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The Dick Van Dyke Show: Season 4 (Blu-ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 9th, 2013
When one thinks of The Dick Van Dyke Show it’s hard not to think of its star Dick Van Dyke. After all, it’s his name on the opening credits, and he does play the lead character in this groundbreaking television comedy. There’s little question that the show became a wonderful vehicle for his many comedic talents. But the genius behind the show wasn’t really Dick Van Dyke at all. It was Carl Reiner (yes, Meathead’s father) who is the true brains behind the show.
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How the West Was Won: The Complete First Season
Posted in No Huddle by J C on July 8th, 2013
“The 1860s was a decade in which one of the most terrible civil wars in history was to begin and end. But far from the bloody fields of Gettysburg and Shiloh, changes — which were to alter forever the face of the American West — had already begun.”
And that pioneering spirit continued to capture the American public’s imagination 100 years later. The Western was the big boy on the block during the 1950s and ‘60s on both television — peaking in 1959, which saw 26 such shows air in prime time — and in the movies. How the West Was Won — starring John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart and Gregory Peck, among others — is one of the more enduring titles from that era.
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Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness – Good Croc, Bad Croc
Posted in No Huddle by Brent Lorentson on July 4th, 2013
After having two successful films, Kung Fu Panda made its way onto the small screen as an animated show for Nickelodeon. Though I wasn’t the biggest fan of the films, I could still appreciate the charm and allure of Po, the Dragon warrior who just so happens to be a Panda. In the films Jack Black voiced the character of Po, and it’s his goofiness that seemed to make Po so likeable. But on the small screen, the studios can throw down the healthy chunk of money that the A list actors take in when doing the voice work for the full-length films. As luck would have it Mike Wingert would take over the voice work of the title character, and he does a remarkable job filling in.
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Jethro Tull: Around the World Live
Posted in No Huddle by Gino Sassani on July 4th, 2013
“Life’s A Long Song”
That has certainly been true for the iconic British invasion band, Jethro Tull. Their first album came out in 1968, and they made their maiden tour of The United States the next year as the opening act for Led Zeppelin. From that point on the band has experienced both ups and downs, to be sure. Still, they continue to play nearly 100 shows a year throughout the world. Jethro Tull: Around The World offers a peek at their traveling minstrel show over the span of 35 years from 1970 to 2005.
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Least Among Saints
Posted in No Huddle by Jonathan Foster on July 4th, 2013
How do you cope with loss? Do you numb yourself so you don’t feel anything? Or do you lash out in anger, making everyone else feel as bad as you? Do you do seek help or do something drastic? Least Among Saints explores that concept, looking at the various types of loss and hurt from different perspectives and age demographics while exploring the way to redemption.
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Unforgettable: The First Season
Posted in No Huddle by J C on July 3rd, 2013
“Only a few people in the world have the ability to remember everything. I’m one of them. If I miss something the first time, it’s okay; I can go back and look again. My life…is unforgettable.”
You’ve got to admire the courage of the person who decided to call this show Unforgettable. He or she had to know they’d be leaving themselves open to easy pot-shots from viewers and snarky critics like me if the drama series failed to make a lasting impression. And, for a while, it looked like this Unforgettable: The First Season DVD set might wind up being Unforgettable: The Only Season.
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CSI: NY – The Final Season
Posted in No Huddle by Gino Sassani on July 2nd, 2013
And then there was only one. More than a decade after CSI began to spin itself off to Miami and then New York, the last standing series is the original. And while even the franchise flagship has undergone cast and even style changes, it remains a ratings winner and appears to maintain an appeal the other shows never could quite capture. Not that we can call either of these spinoff adventures a failure. Both saw pretty much a decade, which is far longer than 90% of television shows ever see
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The Rambler (Blu-ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on July 2nd, 2013
A fish has to swim, a bird has to fly, and a film has to entertain; those are the defining attributes for each of the listed subjects, and in my opinion The Rambler didn’t meet its obligation as a film. The Dermot Mulroney-led film is a series of happenings, each of which are unconnected and wide open for interpretation, only tied together by one monosyllabic character. It seems that the story is whatever you want to make it, but therein lies the rub: many people don’t go to films that require them to form their own interpretation. They are looking to have a story told to them, not tell it to themselves.
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6 Souls (Blu-ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by J C on July 1st, 2013
The medical community seems to be split on whether or not dissociative identity disorder — previously known as multiple personality disorder — actually exists. Well, I’m here to offer a definitive answer because I’ve just seen the dreaded disease in action after watching 6 Souls. The film can’t decide whether it wants to be trashy, watchable horror movie that regularly tries to jump-scare you out of your seat or a somewhat serious meditation on the science vs. faith debate.
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Exclusive Interview With Ricky Schroder
Posted in Podcasts by Gino Sassani on July 1st, 2013
Most of you know Ricky Schroder. He was the child actor from Silver Spoons in the 1980”s. In the 1990’s grew up fast and took on NYPD Blue. All along the way he has redefined his image. Now he’s a family man. The entire Schroder clan has recently put together the Hallmark film Our Wild Hearts. The film stars Ricky, two sons, and his daughter Cambria in her first staring role. He co-wrote the film with wife Andrea and directed the movie. I recently had the opportunity to chat with him about his family and the latest film. Bang it here to listen in on my chat with Ricky Schroder
Exclusive Interview With Calvin Reeder: Writer/Director of The Rambler
Posted in Podcasts by Gino Sassani on June 29th, 2013
I got the chance recently to chat with Calvin Reeder. Reeder’s a relative newcomer to the filmmaking game, and he certainly has developed his own storytelling style. The Rambler is his second feature-length film. Bang it here to listen to my chat with Calvin Reeder
Unfortunately, I must apologize for a series of beeps that interfere with the quality of the audio.
White House Down
Posted in The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on June 28th, 2013
In 1988 a movie by the name of Die Hard became a worldwide commercial success and helped launch the career of one of Hollywood’s most prominent action stars. The legend of the film transcends time and space as it is still to this day a beloved film, and its name has become synonymous with what an action film is. In 2013, another film looks to capture that same type of glory, a film I believe has the potential to become this generation’s Die Hard, and not because both film’s main character’s first name is John. White House Down is an explosively entertaining experience brought to life from the director that brought us Independence Day, 10,000 B.C., and 2012.
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Saving Lincoln
Posted in No Huddle by J C on June 27th, 2013
We’re almost 150 years removed from the death of Abraham Lincoln, yet interest in the first major assassination in American history appears to be at an all-time high. Daniel Day Lewis just won a well-deserved Oscar for his astounding portrayal of our 16th president, and this month has already seen the home video release of the fascinating Killing Lincoln. Pictures From the Fringe enters the fray with the paradoxically-titled Saving Lincoln, a unique, well-meaning presentation of his presidency and a sketchy portrait of the not-so-well-known relationship between Lincoln and personal bodyguard Ward Hill Lamon.
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Stoker (Blu-ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 26th, 2013
“My ears hear what others cannot hear; small faraway things people cannot normally see are visible to me. These senses are the fruits of a lifetime of longing, longing to be rescued, to be completed. Just as the skirt needs the wind to billow, I’m not formed by things that are of myself alone. I wear my father’s belt tied around my mother’s blouse, and shoes which are from my uncle. This is me. Just as a flower does not choose its color, we are not responsible for what we have come to be. Only once you realize this do you become free, and to become adult is to become free.”
If you are a fan of director Chan-wook Park, you are used to the kinds of bizarre images and somewhat enigmatic story elements
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Burn Notice: Season Six
Posted in No Huddle by Jeremy Butler on June 25th, 2013
Burned, Recruited, Coerced, Betrayed, and Framed; in the past five seasons of Burn Notice, Michael Westen has been all of these things. The constant fluctuation in his ever-changing status is enough to drive a person mad, but through it all Michael has managed to stay level-headed and remain confident that he would find a way out. That confidence in his abilities is no doubt sustained by the support of his eternally loyal love, Fiona Glenanne. Fiona is Michael’s anchor; she keeps him centered, and as evident in last season when Fiona was framed for a bombing by Anson, Michael will go to any extreme to keep her safe;
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Body of Proof: The Complete Third Season
Posted in No Huddle by Gino Sassani on June 25th, 2013
“The body is the proof. It will tell you everything you need to know if you just have the patience to look.”
Body Of Proof was a mid-season entry by the network two years ago; it debuted at the end of March and ran for only nine episodes that year. It was renewed, so it had the opportunity to develop into something better than what it was. After a full season last year, it was decided to retool the show considerably for the third year. It was all an obvious sign that the show with so much potential was having trouble drawing in enough viewers to keep it alive. The end has finally come, and those last episodes are now available on DVD.
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Workaholics – Season Three (Blu Ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by William O'Donnell on June 25th, 2013
Every generation since “X” has lionized its slackers and frat boys with films (perhaps earlier if you look to Animal House as the beginning). Workaholics dances between this honouring of the stoner/slacker lifestyle and satirizing it. This show’s third season is just like the previous two. Three best friends, Adam, Anders and Blake, spend their work days with pranks, pot and parties on their minds, and each episode showcases their adventures therein.
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The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (Blu-ray)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 24th, 2013
“Welcome to the wonderful world of magic.”
They say that the hand is quicker than the eye. Through the art of misdirection and skillful manipulation we have been awed by magicians ever since Glog made Ooof’s club disappear somewhere in Mesopotamia circa 20,000 BC. It’s not all skill, really. The truth is we’ve always wanted to be fooled. We’re begging for “magicians” to tamper with our sense of reality. I don’t know how fast the hand happens to be, but today we’re fooled at the speed of 24 frames per second (unless you happen to be Peter Jackson)
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23:59
Posted in No Huddle by J C on June 24th, 2013
“Midnight is the most evil part of the night. If someone dies at 23:59 hours, his soul will not rest in peace and will return to the mortal world.”
Every culture has its own set of ghost stories. They’re usually passed around very late at night by a group of very impressionable young people. That’s precisely where 23:59 — an atmospheric and thoroughly effective Malaysian/Singaporean horror flick — picks up, with a group of army recruits on an island training camp sitting around telling spooky tales. The only thing missing was the campfire.
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Monsters University
Posted in The Reel World by Gino Sassani on June 21st, 2013
The boys are back, and I only have one question. What the heck took so long? I have a lot of respect for Pixar and the groundbreaking films they’ve created over the last couple of decades, but I have to question someone’s marketing good sense when they get a sequel to Cars out before anyone bothered to look towards what is arguably the studio’s best creation to date. For me it’s all about Monsters, Inc. I hadn’t fallen so hard for an animated film since The Lion King, and so I was thrilled when I got the invitation to graduate early from Monsters University.
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World War Z
Posted in The Reel World by Jonathan Foster on June 21st, 2013
“Most people don’t believe something can happen until it already has.”
Walkers. The Living Dead. Zombies. Whatever you call them, you can’t deny they’ve shuffled their way into the forefront of pop culture. Once relegated to niche horror movies, zombies have crossed over into multiple genres, be it comedy (Zombieland), romance (Warm Bodies) or drama (The Walking Dead). The latest offering of the undead is World War Z, an action/horror film based on Max Brooks’ best-selling novel of the same name.
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The Bling Ring
Posted in The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on June 20th, 2013
“Let’s go shopping.”
Proof that the internet in the wrong hands can be a dangerous tool; it was the highlight of celebrity news in 08 and 09; a rash home invasions and robberies committed on the residences of Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Rachel Bilson, Audrina Patridge, Megan Fox, and Orlando Bloom. As reported by TMZ and news outlets alike, the group broke into the celeb’s home stealing cash, jewelry, and apparel quickly earning the name “The Bling Ring.” News of their actions and their ability to avoid detection despite being caught on caught on a security cameras
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