Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 20th, 2018
Clint Eastwood has been at the top of the game both as an actor and a director, often both at the same time. There's no question that he still has the skills. Unfortunately, 15:17 To Paris isn't a great example of his direction skills. Don't get me wrong. There is a nice intense film in here, but it only lasts for about 10 minutes and hungrily screams out for more of the same. Eastwood's problem is much the same that he had in Sully. He doesn't really have enough material for a truly great feature film, so he is forced to fill the screen time with something he hopes will entertain us long enough to stay with him for the good stuff. But as Clint said once as Dirty Harry, "A man's got to know his limitations."
On August 21, 2015 a terrorist boarded a bullet train to Paris in Amsterdam. He carried several weapons including an automatic rifle with over 300 rounds of ammunition, enough to take out nearly all of the passengers on that route. He didn't get very far because of the heroism of some of the passengers aboard. Three of the passengers were friends taking a cross-continent backpacking trip in Europe. Anthony Sadler, Spencer Stone, and Alek Skarlatos had been friends since childhood. They were instrumental in stopping the terrorist before he could cause too much damage.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 20th, 2018
The setting for Gunsmoke was the by-now-famous Dodge City, circa 1870’s. Phrases like “get out of Dodge” would enter the popular lexicon as a result of this resilient series. Marshall Dillon (Arness) was charged with keeping the peace in Dodge City. The only other character to see the entire 20-year run was kindly Doc Adams (Stone). Star Trek’s own Doc, Leonard McCoy, took many of his traits from Doc Adams. He was the humanitarian of the city, always looking to help someone. Like McCoy, he had a taste for bourbon and a soft heart underneath a rather gruff exterior and was always ready with free advice. Dillon’s love interest throughout most of the series was Miss Kitty Russell (Blake). While there were certainly a few romantic undercurrents, the romance never came to fruition. Miss Kitty was a prostitute on the radio and was likely one here as well, but CBS chose to underplay that aspect of her character as a “saloon girl”. Finally Dillon’s faithful sidekick deputy was Chester (Weaver). Chester often found himself in trouble and was the naïve son figure to Dillon.
Gunsmoke is the longest-running scripted live-action television show in history. The series ran from 1955 to 1975. At first it was a half-hour black-and-white show that evolved into a color hour by 1967. It actually started before the days of television, premiering on radio in 1952. Then it was William Conrad as the tough-as-nails Marshall Matt Dillon. When television came into its own, Gunsmoke made the jump to the bright living room box and made history. Westerns would ride across our small square screens for the next three decades, making it the most successful genre of that time, and it was Gunsmoke that started it all. The television version of Gunsmoke was originally conceived as a vehicle for John Wayne, who opted to remain in movies. Yet it was Wayne himself who suggested James Arness, and it turned out to be a career for the one-time “carrot” monster from The Thing. Gunsmoke started before all of the big westerns and was around when most of them had departed.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on May 19th, 2018
Uber High is not what it seems, and it is up to the Lego DC Superhero Girls to prove it. At first the girls are seduced by the idea of less homework and more fun. However, it is a slippery slope that turns a hero to a villain. I have to say, if my daughter was in this situation, I’m fairly sure that she would go full-on to the dark side. But in her defense, I’m pretty sure that is most kids. I mean, come on, who actually wants to do homework? Of the Lego DC comics, I think this one has the most interesting story to it, as it allows characters who have been lifelong evildoers in various platforms the opportunity to be on the side of good, if they can resist the call of their darker impulses.
Lena Luther, tired of being ranked at the bottom when it comes to being a villain, discovers an ingenious way to establish her superiority. She forcefully recruits Killer Frost, Harley Quinn, Catwoman, Cheetah, and Poison Ivy from Super Hero High. At first, the girls are happy to be at a school where they can stand out after spending so much time being outshone by the likes of Supergirl, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, and Batgirl. However, like I said, it is a slippery slope into becoming a super-villain. Lena intends to utilize the girl’s abilities to steal technology in order to amass more power for herself. It is up to the very girls who have outshone them to save them…. from themselves.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on May 17th, 2018
"So dark. You sure you're not from the DC universe?”
I've said many times in these pages that expectations can kill. That might have been more true for Deadpool 2 than any other film I've seen since the re-launch of Star Wars. The first movie didn't push boundaries. It obliterated the boundaries and kept on going. Fans had certainly been ripe for a raunchy R-rated superhero film, and the box office for Deadpool certainly proved that out by bringing in nearly a half a billion bucks. For a superhero film that might seem like small change, but for what was essentially a comedy, it was awesome money and demanded a sequel before the first run was over at the multiplexes. The problem is that raunchy comedies, like superhero films, share the deadly expectation curse. Rarely does a comedy film sequel live up to those expectations, and if you're anybody but Marvel, it doesn't happen often in the superhero genre either. If all of this sounds like it's leading up to a death knell for Deadpool 2, you're right. It does sound that way. Fortunately for us Deadpool 2 manages to escape its fated demise and not only work as well as the first film; Deadpool 2 is better.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on May 17th, 2018
I think it’s a fair assumption to say the DTV market for film is pretty much the best it has ever been in regards to securing talent to star in the films. When you look at a film like Bent and its cast of Karl Urban (Dredd), Sofia Vergara (Modern Family) and the great Andy Garcia (The Godfather 3, and my personal favorite Things to do in Denver When You’re Dead), it’s difficult to not get excited over its potential. To sweeten the pot, the film’s director, Bobby Moresco, has produced two films that have best picture Oscar nominations, so one has to wonder, what went wrong? I’m not saying the film is bad, but instead you’d just expect this film to be in another tier and not simply settling with a soft release in the new release section at Wal-Mart. There doesn’t seem to be much buzz for this film, but it also seems that unless you’re a film that is a film festival darling or a big-budget blockbuster, it’s hard to generate any attention towards the smaller releases, and that seems to be where Bent has fallen. With so many titles and numerous platforms releasing content, it’s simply not enough to just be good, but if you want to make waves and attract an audience you need to be something special, and unfortunately Bent just doesn’t deliver the goods.
The film starts off with a man watching a loved one climb into a car that is set to explode once the ignition is turned. There’s nothing wrong with this start, and it does a good job at setting up the viewer to want to know more, but the film has other plans and instead thrusts us into the story about Danny Gallagher (Urban), who is a disgraced cop who is sent to prison after a sting goes bad that results in a cop getting killed. After serving his time, Gallagher has one thing on his mind, and it’s to get payback against the person responsible for putting him behind bars. Garcia plays his mentor, who tries to help Gallagher put these thoughts of revenge aside and instead try to rekindle his romance with Kate (Grace Byers), a singer and bar owner who lost her bar while he was serving time. While it would make sense for Danny to pursue his love interest and keep his life on the straight and narrow, going this route also doesn’t lead to a compelling film.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 16th, 2018
"I shall tell you of William Wallace. Historians from England will say I am a liar, but history is written by those who have hanged heroes. The king of Scotland had died without a son, and the king of England, a cruel pagan known as Edward the Longshanks, claimed the throne of Scotland for himself. Scotland's nobles fought him, and fought each other, over the crown..."
Mel Gibson had a bit of a rollercoaster life for a while there. His DUI arrest and subsequent anti-Semitic rant caused many to look less favorably upon the man himself. He appears to be making his way back into the fold. Of course, it helps that Hollywood has bigger fish to fry now, and suddenly Gibson's flaws don't appear quite so damning with all the new revelations that really started with Bill Cosby but blossomed with Harvey Weinstein. Gibson's directed films hadn't been as accessible to the public, but last year he took the film world by storm when he released Hacksaw Ridge. It was perhaps the most meaningful World War II film since Saving Private Ryan 20 years earlier. Little by little, Gibson is coming back. He won't win everyone over, but he's making some headway. Still, no matter how you view Gibson or his work today, it can’t be denied that he has created one of the more compelling films of our day in Braveheart.
Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on May 14th, 2018
Few television shows have had as much influence on the pop culture as did Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. The brainchild of George Schlatter the series has left behind a rich legacy. Even if you’ve never seen an episode of Laugh-In, you’ve heard the catch-phrases, or you’ve watched another show that was directly influenced by it. Now you don't have to live the show through memories. Our great pals over at Time-Life have given us a copy of Laugh-In The Complete fourth Season on DVD to giveaway. This is your chance to own some classic moments in television history.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
Posted in: The Reel World by John Delia on May 14th, 2018
It’s an actioner with good special effects, and the setting for the flick is outstanding, but Breaking In is just another robbery-gone-bad film at the hands of a very upset mother. Much like Kidnap where Halle Berry goes berserk because her son gets taken when her car is stolen, here Gabrielle Union turns into a determined killer mom to get her children free from robbers. Unfortunately there’ve been several movies with a similar plot, but in case you haven’t seen one, this movie should keep you on your toes.
Due to the recent death of her estranged father, Shaun Russell (Gabrielle Union) gathers up her children Jasmine (Ajiona Alexus), a teen, and Glover (Seth Carr), a pre-teen, and heads for his plush estate in the mountains. They are given the task of clearing the estate of any important objects and papers before the real estate company takes over the sale of the property. When they arrive, Shaun finds the sophisticated security system has been tampered with, but since the house is on the market, she passes it off as a real estate thing.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 14th, 2018
"Tell me a story."
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the comic book character of Black Panther in 1966 for an issue of The Fantastic Four. He became the first black superhero in the comic world. He starred in Marvel's Jungle Action title before getting his own comic. The character was popular, but through an unfortunate set of circumstances he was at times thought to be related to the militant group of the same name that popped up that same year. For a short time he went by the name Black Leopard, but the original name rose above the unintended connection and continued to enjoy on and off success over the decades. Black Panther was introduced to the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) with Captain America: Civil War. He's finally getting his own film, and with the release of Black Panther, the MCU is developing and evolving in new and interesting ways. It's all leading to the May release of the third Avengers film and eventually into an entirely new MCU. That's a lot to ask of a single film. Is Black Panther up to the task?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on May 14th, 2018
As a general practice, I usually try to avoid watching a sequel without first having seen the first film. However, with Maya the Bee 2: The Honey Games, that was hardly necessary, as it functioned as more of a standalone than a continuation. The story continues to follow the titular character, Maya, as she continues to try to aid her hive in any way she can, this time, participating in the Honey Games in order to prevent her hive from losing half of their honey. Sadly, this movie did not get Nalyce’s stamp of approval, as her attention started to wain pretty much as soon as we started watching it. That said, we soldiered on, and eventually she did manage to find a couple things that she did like about it. Despite this, Maya the Bee 2 won’t be becoming a permanent fixture in her entertainment rolodex.
In this sequel, the survival of the hive is threatened following a slow harvest season, when an emissary of the Empress Bee decrees that the hive is to donate half of their honey supply for the upcoming Honey Games. Realizing that such a donation will leave a lot of hungry mouths, Maya and her sidekick Willy, go to Buzztropolis to try to convince the Empress to let them keep their honey. Their plan goes sideways when the Empress decrees that they can keep their honey if they win the Honey Games. However, if they lose, the hive must give up their entire honey supply.
On The Web
Sponsors
