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.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on October 4th, 2017
“This may seem a peculiar request...but could someone explain why I'm here?”
That question is posed slurred by Jack Sparrow, Johnny Depp's perpetually sloshed swashbuckler, during his very first appearance in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Given that this is the fifth film in a faded franchise — and that Depp probably needs the money — the answer for why any of this is happening appears to be painfully obvious. Which is why I was delighted (and frankly a little shocked) by how much fun I had watching this latest entry, which manages to entertain while openly plundering the original movie's winning formula.
Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on October 3rd, 2017
We haven't forgotten the little ones this 31 Nights Of Terror. Disney knows how to make even the Halloween scares a little bit less frightening and a little more fun. They've given us a copy of Mickey Mouse Merry & Scary on DVD to help celebrate the spooky season. It's a mash-up of Christmas and Halloween You get The Scariest Story Ever: A Mickey Mouse Halloween Spooktaular. Mickey tries to tell the ultimate scary story. You also get Duck The Halls: A Mickey Mouse Christmas Special. Donald is resisting the call to migrate south but he finds out shivering in December might not be all it's quacked up to be. You also get 5 bonus short features. It's a Holiday Collection extravaganza and one faithful Upcomingdiscs follower is going to get the goods.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on October 3rd, 2017
Yo-ho, yo-ho, it's a pirate's life for us here at UpcomingDiscs HQ! Lucky for us, we didn't have to plunder Disney's treasure chest...the Mouse House was kind enough to send us some of their most valuable booty on their own. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales arrives in both 4K and on Blu-ray this week. Elsewhere, Shout! Factory mines drama out of the When Calls the Heart 6-Movie Collection and prepares for the worst with The Survavilist. Cohen Media Group relives one of the world's darkest hours with Churchill, Acorn goes searching for Loch Ness: Season 1, and Warner Bros. shuffles along with iZombie: Season 3. Finally, HBO examines the downfall of Bernie Madoff with The Wizard of Lies.
This is the start of a new month, but I'm going to give you the same ol' 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 J C on October 2nd, 2017
“You love this type of drama.”
When Fox’s Empire premiered in early 2015, it became an instant sensation that re-wrote the ratings record books. The show’s mix of high drama and hip-hop obviously struck a chord with an underserved segment of TV viewers. Of course, that sort of otherworldly buzz and ratings success was never going to be sustainable. So while Empire has inevitably lost some of the sizzle from its unprecedented debut, this unapologetically over-the-top soap rap-era continues to entertain by leaning into its Twitter-shattering craziness.
Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on October 2nd, 2017
We kick off our 31 Nights Of Terror by sending you on a little trip out to a certain Cabin In The Woods. That's right, we've got a copy of the cult classic The Cabin In The Woods on Blu-ray and it's going out to one of the Upcomingdiscs faithful. We just reviewed the film on 4K and here's a little something for those of you who aren't quite at the UHD market.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 1st, 2017
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The saying's as true of the human body as it is of a washing machine or a blender. A good surgeon knows that if you go screwing around with something that doesn't need screwing, you are the one who is liable to end up screwed."
One of those things on television that doesn't appear "broke" is Grey's Anatomy, heading into its 14th season on ABC. By now Shondra Rhimes must own a pretty big piece of ABC. OK, she doesn't likely own any of Disney, ABC's parent company, but if this were a game of Monopoly, Rhimes would be smiling all the way to the fake bank. She owns more real estate here than anyone else. And while she may not be laughing all the way to the fake bank, I suspect the real banks are holding a good stash of cash for the Madam of Prime Time.
Posted in: The Reel World by Dan Holland on September 29th, 2017
“Backslidin’, how do you do? These slippery people gonna see you through.”
It has been a long while since I have witnessed a pop song’s lyrics fit so poetically into a feature film. “Slippery People” is a track off the groundbreaking Talking Heads album, Speaking in Tongues, released in 1983. Not only does this song fit the plot of American Made within its lyrics (hints of backsliding with a lot of slippery people), but it also represents a specific aesthetic for one of the many years shown throughout the film. Which, by and large, is what American Made does very well: appreciates the nostalgia of the 70’s and 80’s without exaggerating to extremes. More often than not, the “nostalgia aesthetic” very quickly becomes a parody of itself. However, what director Doug Liman offers audiences is bold moves in film form, lightly garnished with relevant nostalgia.
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