Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 9th, 2017
"Welcome to The Vault, the most amazing library ever. An archive of the incredible. A repository of the impossible. A storehouse of secrets great and small. This is the untold history of America."
Things have not been going so well for Ichabod Crane and his fight against the supernatural. The show has had trouble finding an audience as well as a footing. Season Four marks the second time the show has been re-tooled in order to tweak whatever keeps it from completely catching on. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite enough. The CW's Supernatural is going into its 13th season, so we know there's a market out there for this stuff. But it's hard to pull off, as the many efforts that never made it out of their first few episodes could bear witness. But for these witnesses they made it to four short seasons, and you are now about to bear witness to the end of the fight as Fox delivers the last 13 episodes of Sleepy Hollow on DVD. Faith in the show had fallen so far that the show hasn't been available on Blu-ray since Season Two. So DVD's all you're going to get here, and it's going to have to be enough.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on October 8th, 2017
“Try to call for help…there’s no one for miles.”
The horror stories I tend to enjoy make me empathize with the ill-fated characters on screen instead of making me yell at them for their stupidity. In other words, “What would I do in this situation?” is a much more compelling question than, “Are you a freakin’ idiot?!” We don’t need to get into whether or not I’ve ever found myself handcuffed to a bed. But suffice it to say that Gerald’s Game — Netflix’s brutal and thrillingly taxing adaptation of Stephen King’s 1992 novel — kept me absolutely riveted from start to finish.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 8th, 2017
"History doesn't repeat itself, but it rhymes. - Mark Twain"
Last year Leonardo DiCaprio walked away with an Oscar for his performance in the winter wilderness survival film The Revenant. The film also took statues for its amazing cinematography and also for direction. By the time I was finished screening The Mountain Between Us, I had already started to have flashbacks. Consider this movie to be a Revenant built for two. The film has a great many of the same strengths as last year's epic. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see at least nominations for Hany Abu-Assad for director in his first English-language film. Mandy Walker could very well win for her breathtaking cinematography. And both Kate Winslet and Idris Elba should at least get a good look in the best actress and best actor categories respectfully. There's no question that The Mountain Between Us should at least be nominated for the same hat-trick that The Revenant scored in 2016. Still. As much as these films are the same, there is a world of difference to be found as well.
Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on October 7th, 2017
Okay, this one might appear to be a strange contest for our annual 31 Nights Of Terror. We're giving away a three-Blu-ray collection of the most beloved holiday specials in television history. It's the Peanuts Holiday Anniversary Collection. Yes, it has A Charlie Brown Christmas and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. But it also that Halloween classic It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. So get ready to guard those pumpkin patches and enter to win this high definition trip down memory lane.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 6th, 2017
"Turns out we've had a hellish night. Peyton, kidnapped by Seattle's criminal kingpin, saved by a new amnesiac version of Blaine, which doesn't seem to be sitting well with Ravi. Major, suffering because he promised a zombie named Natalie she'd wake up to a new and beautiful world. And now he can't find her. And poor Clive. 48 hours ago, he had no idea that zombies were a real thing. What I need to tell him may send him over the edge."
And by now you might be either over the edge or at the edge of your favorite television seat. But if you're just confused, it's because you missed the first two seasons of iZombie, and this is not where you want to start your journey. Check out our reviews of Seasons 1 & 2, then watch the episodes and join us back here once you're caught up. Bang it Here for my look at the first two seasons.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on October 6th, 2017
In 2008 Taken first exploded on the big screen and not only created an action franchise but also took Liam Neeson from being a respected dramatic actor and transformed him into an action star. It’s been nearly a decade, but now the action franchise is getting the television treatment where we get to see the revenge-fueled CIA agent in action before retirement. Remember the now infamous line, “I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don’t have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you…” The television series aims to show us just how he developed those skills, and the possibilities seem quite awesome, but does it deliver?
Clive Standen steps into the role of Bryan Mills, a younger version of the character Neeson once played. Let’s face it, not many actors can be as smooth as Neeson and just ooze the badass persona Neeson has seemed to have mastered over the span of his career, but Standen is a suitable option to hopefully see mold into the character we’ve grown to love. The series kicks things off as Bryan is travelling with his younger sister, who is tragically killed in the opening moments of the show. Bryan takes it upon himself to discover who is responsible for her death and in the process is recruited by a special ops group in the CIA run by Christina Hart (Jennifer Beals).
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on October 6th, 2017
“In our conversation, he seemed relaxed, unfailingly candid, earnest, and trustworthy. That is his talent and his curse.”
You probably know the name Bernie Madoff, the notorious fraudster who used a Ponzi scheme to steal almost $65 billion dollars from his victims. (Yes, that's “billion” with a B!) But if you were hoping to gain some insight into the man and his methods, this HBO film isn't really the place to look. The Wizard of Lies features a fantastic cast, some effective directorial touches, but is too often guilty of telling rather than showing.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on October 5th, 2017
“This is a corpse infected with the plague. It is uncaring, unfeeling.”
When it comes to the overwhelming majority of zombie fiction, it’s all about brains (or rather, BRAAAINS!!!) It’s what the undead hunger for, and a well-placed headshot is usually the only way to kill them (again). And that doesn’t even cover the popular device of using the walking dead as an allegory for an increasingly mindless society. Warm Bodies stands out because it’s more concerned with an entirely different bodily organ. Based on Isaac Marion’s popular novel of the same name, the zombie romantic comedy deals directly with matters of the heart.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 4th, 2017
"And now, folks, it's sock-it-to-you time."
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. Lorne Michaels, who created the iconic Saturday Night Live, began as a writer on Laugh-In, and once you've seen Laugh-In, you are going to instantly recognize many of the same ideas. Shows like Hee Haw and the British Benny Hill have admitted to taking material directly from Laugh-In. Best of all, it was a family show that didn't need to be on at midnight so the kids wouldn't be around. Laugh-In thrived for six seasons in prime time, and I can still remember evenings where the entire family gathered to watch. It was something none of us had seen before but we all have seen since. But as the old song goes: "Ain't nothing like the real thing". And Time-Life put it all together in one massive box set. All 140 episodes on a massive 38-disc set. And don't forget that holiday shopping begins soon. Don't worry; I suspect we'll find a way to remind you.
Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on October 4th, 2017
31 Nights Of Terror continues with a third straight contest. Some folks like their horror a little on the wacky side. That describes the King Of Schlock Lloyd Kaufman quite well. Troma has delivered the best of the worst for decades. They don't come any worse than The Toxic Avenger, the film so bad they made a ton of sequels. We've got The Toxic Avenger Part III & The Toxic Avenger IV on Blu-ray for one lucky Upcomingdiscs follower. The discs include a ton of absurd extras. Just the thing for a Troma fan.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
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