Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 27th, 2017
"My name is Oliver Queen. After five years in hell, I returned home with only one goal: to save my city. Today I fight that war on two fronts. By day, I lead Star City as its mayor. But by night, I am someone else. I am something else. I am the Green Arrow..."
Who the heck is this Green Arrow of whom you speak? If that's your first question, you need to go back a couple of grades and catch up with the rest of us. The comics are good place to begin, but the television universe is its own place and not tied so tightly to the DC comic book universe. Your best place to go to catch up would be the first three seasons. It'll be worth the effort, and I can get you started with those reviews found Here.
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on September 26th, 2017
After a whirlwind past couple of weeks, things are finally starting to get back to normal around these parts. Of course, what passes for normal at UpcomingDiscs HQ doesn’t quite fit everyone’s definition. Case in point: is it normal to have a bunch of Autobots and Decepticons matching wits with the likes of Mark Wahlberg, Sir Anthony Hopkins(!), and Merlin the Magician(!!!)? Of course not! But that is exactly what is going down here this week thanks to the fine folks at Paramount, who were kind enough to send along a UHD copy of Transformers: The Last Knight (4K). Elsewhere, Magnolia Home Entertainment clocks in at 2:22, while Lionsgate brings a particular set of skills to the small screen with Taken: Season 1.
Before signing off for the week (and for September), here’s the usual 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: Disc Reviews by J C on September 25th, 2017
“You have been my greatest love. Be careful, Diana…they do not deserve you.”
Ever since Richard Donner made us believe that a man can fly with 1978’s Superman — considered by many to be the first modern superhero film — we’ve gotten three different Men of Steel, along with five different versions of Batman (if you don’t count Will Arnett’s voiceover work). Heck, in the last 15 years alone we’ve had three Spider-Men and (incredibly) gone through three Hulks! Yet in all that time, a movie starring Wonder Woman — a superhero just as iconic as all the ones I just mentioned — could never get off the ground…until now. I’m happy to report it was worth the wait.
Posted in: The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on September 24th, 2017
When it comes to ranking the top 10 cool movies of the past five years, Kingsman:The Secret Service would easily make the list. From the opening sequence to the final credits, the movie was simply a fun ride with so many kick-ass moments. I mean, the fight in the church alone is worth the price of admission. The moment I heard Matthew Vaughn was returning to helm the sequel, I instantly got giddy with excitement. Heck, ever since his first film Layer Cake, the guy has managed to produce a stream of cool films that I’ve enjoyed. It’s when the trailer for the sequel first dropped something didn’t feel right; it still looked like a fun movie, but it just didn’t suck me in like the previous film’s trailer did. I ignored my doubts, because after all, Vaughn has proven himself again and again, so when it came time to see the screening for the film, I had forgotten about my doubts and I was just ready to have a good time.
Now that we know how the Kingsman organization works, the film wastes no time throwing Eggsy (Taron Egerton) into the heat of action. We watch Eggsy engage in a fight/car chase as Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy” plays in the back of a cab. It’s a fun and flashy fight with the camera moving around in impossible angles as the fight literally does some off-the-wall stuff. It’s great for an intro, but this is what we get hit with again and again as the film goes on, and it quickly loses its flair.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on September 24th, 2017
When it comes to shows that simply sneak up on you and manage to suck you in, This Is Us would be a show I never saw coming nor expected to simply fall in love with. As a show that is on network television, it stands toe to toe with the best that cable has to offer. But what is most surprising is that what sets this show apart from the rest of the pack isn’t a complex antihero or dragons; instead it is as simple as being a show that feels as anything I’ve seen on television in some time. As the title would suggest This Is Us is simply about a family and the struggles and successes that come day to day, though as many of you can understand and relate, there is nothing simple about life and the constant hurdles that are thrown at us on a day to day basis. When I would listen to people talk about the show, it seemed every episode managed to make them cry or at least evoke some strong emotion. I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical about a show being so well made that it could easily prey upon the viewer’s emotions, but after only one episode I was hooked, and I was reaching for the tissues.
The first episode of a television show is generally called a pilot; it’s an episode that is made to introduce the studios and hopefully larger audiences to the show. One of my favorite pilots was for The X-Files; another great first episode would be for The Walking Dead. I mention these to hopefully give a little context for the statement I’m about to make, the first episode of This Is Us is perhaps one of the greatest first episodes for a TV show; easily I’d put this in the top five.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on September 24th, 2017
To attempt to film in a single unbroken take is an ambitious move. Alfred Hitchock did this with his film Rope, and though it’s an impressive achievement, it’s not one of his great films. What works against the film from the start is that it has to entertain its audience from start to finish, and that’s a difficult enough task for films that have well over 1000 different shots. It’s a bold move, and it is what writer/director and camera operator Justin McConnell delivers us with his feature film Broken Mile. Just for a moment think about what he’s attempting: 80 minutes of filming hoping his actors deliver their lines and hit their marks, he has to hit his marks with the camera, and then while filming in the real world and not a stage, hope no one jumps in and ruins the shot. This is far from being a safe film to shoot, but it’s an attempt I can admire, and when I sat down with the film, believe me I was rooting for it.
When Shaun (Francesco Filice) wakes up, he’s face down in a tub of his own vomit. He’s a drug addict, and when he comes to he discovers his “girlfriend” is dead from what looks like an overdose. We stick with him as he panics and calls the police, but afraid of what can happen to him, he hangs up and calls his ex-girlfriend, Amy (Caleigh Le Grand). Things get complicated when we discover that the dead girl isn’t Shaun’s girlfriend, but instead the girlfriend of his best friend Kenny (Patrick McFadden). Sean bolts before Kenny can discover what has happened to his girlfriend, and this is what kicks off the film.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 23rd, 2017
Mixing science with comedy appears to not only be funny; it also has some serious staying power. It's been 10 years since Big Bang Theory first exploded on our television screens. The show continues to be one of the highest-rated comedy shows on television and seems to be going strong. The show takes the time and money to employ actual science consultants, so you might even learn something along the way. The secret to the show's success is that it's a situation comedy that really manages to be about the characters. All of that geek and science talk is background music to the main theme, which continues to be the characters and their relationships. Watching the 10th season I found myself a little amazed at how little story movement often occurs over a single 20 minutes. I was also amazed how little most of that mattered. But there is a formula here that delivers predictable laughs and has found quite a comfort zone with fans.
If there is a theme at all to the 10th season, it's certainly that of family. You can't miss the point from the very first episode of the season where Leonard (Galecki) and Penny (Cuoco) perform a second wedding ceremony so that their out of town family members can be a part of it. We already met Leonard's mom as the somewhat snarky psychologist Dr. Beverly Hofstadter, played by Christine Baranski from The Good Wife's (and its new spin-off The Good Fight. We had just met Leonard's father, Dr. Alfred Hofstadter, played by Judd Hirsch, at the end of last season. Hirsch might be best known from the 1970's classic Taxi, but he's been a constant force on television and films ever since. Of course, these two don't get along, and to the horror of both Leonard and Sheldon (Parsons) it seems as though he might be hitting it off a little too well with Sheldon’s mother, reprised by Laurie Metcalf.
Posted in: Contests, Expired Contests by Gino Sassani on September 23rd, 2017
Thanks for sticking with us as we work to get back on schedule here. Our buddies over at Universal want to help us thank you for your loyalty. They've given us a copy of one of the most iconic films of all time, and it's in 4K on UHD Blu-ray. This is one of the best prizes we've had in a long time, to be sure. Yes, we're giving away a copy of E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial in UHD. Now, you have to make sure that you have a UHD player and a 4K television with HDR, or you won't be able to play the 4K disc. If you've been waiting for an excuse, this Steven Spielberg classic is pretty good motivation. This one is worth phoning home about.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on September 22nd, 2017
“I don't want to be just guys in a house.”
Since its debut, Silicon Valley has brilliantly lampooned the tech industry by showing us both the proverbial “guys in a garage” and the self-important, aggressively eccentric billionaires obsessed with staying ahead of the curve. The show's central tension (and cruel joke) is that the ultimate endgame for the scrappy underdogs is to become...self-important, aggressively eccentric billionaires obsessed with staying ahead of the curve. Season 4 pushes the limit of the immoral behavior our alleged heroes will justify while continuing to deliver the best mix of brainy and bawdy laughs on television.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 22nd, 2017
When I first heard that the Lethal Weapon franchise was moving to television, I had very mixed reactions. Like most fans of the films, I remained hungry for more. My hopes of future films were dashed around the time Mel Gibson began his career as a Hollywood pariah and was abandoned by many in the industry. I guessed almost immediately that the films were over, at least for a very long time. You go through the usual stages of grief, and about the time I reached the acceptance stage, Matthew Miller comes along and decides to revive the franchise for the small screen. At first I was thinking, yes, this is great. Moments later it was more like Why. Apparently I had a few more stages to get through after all. The final stage was really watching the show on Blu-ray from Warner Brothers. And no matter what I say here, that might just be the only way you're going to be able to figure this out for yourself. All I can do is act a bit like a guide.
Lethal Weapon has been and still is about the two main leads. We're talking about Martin Riggs, who was played by Mel Gibson in the films and is now played by Clayne Crawford, and Roger Murtaugh, originated by Danny Glover in the films and now portrayed by Damon Wayans. At the heart of things these are the characters you have come to know and love in the films. But they are different in many ways. The pilot episode introduces us to each of them in their "native" element before bringing them together for their 18-episode first season adventure.
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