Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on October 19th, 2017
“How many more people will you sacrifice?”
When it premiered in 2013, Reign was an effective bit of counterprogramming for the CW, which continues to be ruled by superheroes, vampires, and other Supernatural beings. Even as Reign appalled historians, the series quickly established itself as a campy and compulsively watchable take on the saga of Mary, Queen of Scots. Unfortunately as the show progressed through Mary’s tragic life, Reign inevitably lost some key players. The result is a show that got more convoluted and less interesting as it limped toward its fourth and final season.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on October 18th, 2017
It’s hard to believe it was way back in 1992 when Buffy the Vampire Slayer was first introduced to audiences. It was a title I had missed in the theaters, but I remember picking it up at our local mom-and-pop video store. With the title being what it was, to go in expecting more than a cheesy horror comedy filled with stakes, fangs, and witty dialog would be on the viewer. I wasn’t a huge fan of the film when I first saw it. I sort of felt like it was a film that was trying to be Fright Night, but let’s face it, there are very few vampire films that are as cool. It’s been over two decades since I last visited the film; how does it hold up? Well, to be honest, it’s grown on me quite a bit.
Kristy Swanson plays Buffy, the vampire slayer that attempts to juggle a social life as a cheerleader while discovering that she is also a vampire slayer. She’s one of the girls who would fit in perfectly with the girls from Clueless and is the typical 90’s pretty girl, but this film works well at developing an arc that turns her into a badass by the time the closing credits roll. While she’s more concerned with impressing her friends and trying to stay fashion-forward, we see that vampires are killing off fellow classmates and many others around town.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on October 18th, 2017
- “You know what they say...the house always wins.”
- “What if we were the house?”
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on October 17th, 2017
Between 1965 and 1971, Greeeeeeeen Acres was the place to be. And now thanks to Shout! Factory, UpcomingDiscs HQ is the place to be...for a closer look at the classic sitcom! We will soon be reviewing Green Acres: The Complete Series, so be sure to mosey on back to the farm so you can get our take on the DVD set. Shout! also earns its way into The Good Place: Season 1, NBC's inventive afterlife comedy. Before you run off until next week, here's for your customary reminder: if you’re shopping for anything on Amazon and you do it through one of our links, it’ll help keep the lights on here at UpcomingDiscs. See ya next week!
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by John Delia on October 16th, 2017
If you are just starting out your horror month, then you may want to make this terror film your first, as it has all the elements of a gruesome, ghoulish nightmare that you’ll remember beyond the big “H” day. A weird name for a film, Red Christmas certainly wreaks havoc on that holiday. Choosing Christmas for the film setting turns out the best way to get this family together so the goings could get bloody. Now on Blu-ray and DVD, it’s a good choice for your opening season fright party.
Diane McKenzie (Dee Wallace) has invited her family over for the holidays, and the house is buzzing as the last of the guests, her daughter Suzy (Sarah Bishop) and her husband Peter (David Collins), drive up. Already on hand are Diane’s adopted daughter Hope (Deelia Meriel), her pregnant daughter Ginny (Janis McGavin) with significant other Scott (Bjorn Stewart) and her only son Jerry (Gerard O’Dwyer). Also attending is Joe McKenzie, Diane’s brother-in-law, who moved in to help with the family when Diane’s husband died.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on October 16th, 2017
For the most part it seems the summer blockbusters tend to be sequels, superhero films, or CGI bonanzas that are simply eye candy to get us to the dark auditoriums to escape the heat. It’s rare that something comes along that is so clever and fresh as Baby Driver. Personally I’ve been a fan of Edgar Wright from the moment I first saw Shaun of the Dead; he was a writer and director who I felt knew how to make films fun. When he was set to direct his dream project Ant-Man, I was excited to see him finally get a chance to do a giant tent-pole studio film, but weeks before filming was set to begin, he got pulled away and replaced. When it was announced he was working on an action-comedy named Baby Driver, well, I was excited, but the film’s title had me scared, fears of him doing something along the lines of Baby’s Day Out ran through my mind, but then as the cast started to assemble, I couldn’t help but get excited. Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm, Jon Bernthal … and these were simply the co-stars. Then when the first trailer dropped, this became the title of the year for me to keep an eye on. While this might not be the kind of film that gets nominated for best picture, for me this had potential to simply be an experience, the kind of fun you hope to have when you see a movie.
So who is Baby? Ansel Elgort heads this film with the title name, and for most he’s a guy who’s come out of nowhere. He’s been in The Divergent series and The Fault in our Stars, but Baby Driver is his first step into the spotlight, and as I mentioned above, he is surrounded by some major talent. The casting of Baby is key. Picking a relative unknown works, because the audience doesn’t know what to expect from this guy, and this works in the film as he’s surrounded by some dangerous heavy hitters in the crime world and they see this kid with his I-pod, they can’t help but wonder what’s up with this guy. Our intro to Baby Driver, wastes no time at showing us just what Baby can do as he is the getaway driver for a bank heist in Atlanta.
Posted in: Podcasts by Gino Sassani on October 15th, 2017
There's no escape from our annual 31 Nights Of Terror. But there is room for plenty of more thrills and chills. Lionsgate has Escape Room on DVD this month. A group of friends celebrate a birthday by visiting one of those trendy escape rooms. There are puzzles and solutions to be found. But is there a way out? I had a chance to talk with the film's director Will Wernick and he gave up a few clues about the new release. Bang it here to listen in on my chat with Will Wernick.
Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on October 14th, 2017
This continues to be a crowded 31 Nights Of Terror contest year. Once again it’s thanks to the great folks at Arc Entertainment. This one is for the kids. Maybe not so scary, but a lot of fun. Arc Entertainment has given us a copy of their zany adventure Under Wraps. The animated feature is loaded with mummies, pharaohs, and other things that go bump in the night. It features the voice talents of Brooke Shields, Drake Bell, and Matthew Lillard. Who’s your Mummy? Upcomingdiscs and Arc Entertainment,that’s who.
To win just follow these instructions:
Posted in: The Reel World by John Delia on October 13th, 2017
Up front I’ll tell you that the movie Happy Death Day has so many twists and turns that you would think you were on a wild ride at Universal Studios. The fun but deadly storyline is a cross between Scary Movie and Groundhog Day, and the maze of thrills will have you spooked out until the very end. Or what you think is the end, so don’t get up out of your seat until it’s ALL over. Carrying the perfect movie rating, PG-13, the filmmakers sneak in what most teens are looking for without having to have a parent on hand to watch over them. It’s has some rude stuff woven into the storyline and even some partial nudity that’s nothing more than a rear-end shot. The shockers are the cool part, with the ugly killer popping in without notice. Actually, when you feel the stalker is coming, it’s already there.
Enough of that, as the film actually has a good story and even a moral of sorts. Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe) awakens one morning in the dorm bed of Carter Davis (Israel Broussard). He brought her back to his room after a wild party at her sorority house, Kappa Pi Alpha. Groggy and wondering why she ended up in his room, she gets all upset.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on October 13th, 2017
"No one will ever remember that you were here."
Few names ring as powerfully through the halls of legal history as that of Thurgood Marshall. One of the best legal minds of the 20th century, he became the first African-American to be seated on the United States Supreme Court. He participated in landmark decisions both as a lawyer arguing in front of the highest court in the land and as one of its nine justices writing milestone opinions. But the film Marshall isn't really about any of that at all. Sure, there's a postscript that tells us what any reasonably educated person already knew. But the story told here isn't quite ripped from the pages of an American history textbook. It plays out more as if it were ripped directly from the news headlines... in the 1940's. And this struggle for justice and equal protection under the law doesn't happen in the Jim Crowe South. It happens in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It's absolutely not what most of us might have expected, but it might just be a better movie because of it.
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